Acceptance & Commitment Therapy

Acceptance and commitment therapy was developed by Steven C. Hayes in the 1980s. Haynes’s personal experience with panic attacks influenced the development of ACT.  Acceptance and commitment therapy is a form of psychotherapy that emphasizes the development of psychological flexibility by assisting individuals to accept negative thoughts and emotions and to act in ways that corresponded with values and beliefs (Psychology Today, 2017). The purpose of this therapy is to help individuals achieve psychological flexibility. According to Shpancer (2019), “psychological flexibility pertains to one’s mental agility and adaptability". The goal of this therapy is not to alleviate negative thoughts and feelings, but to learn how to accept them.

Acceptance and commitment therapy is a flexible and evidence-based therapy that can be used to treat stress, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, substance abuse, eating disorders, and chronic pain (Psychology Today, 2017). There are several different techniques and models used in ACT including mindfulness, values clarification, cognitive defusion, and acceptance. Cognitive defusion is the process where an individual learns to observe thoughts and emotions without becoming consumed by them. In ACT clients are taught to view thoughts as just thoughts rather than reality (Glasofer, 2015). Cognitive defusion is used as a way to reduce the impact of negative thoughts and emotions on behavior (Psychology Today, 2017). Acceptance and commitment theory stresses the importance of identifying core values and beliefs and utilizing them to guide behavior. Value clarification is the process in which an individual identifies what is most important/meaningful and those values are used as motivation. Mindfulness is a technique used in ACT that focuses on staying in the moment and also helps individuals become more accepting of their experiences. These techniques are utilized to help clients change their emotional state, accept their reality, and improve their quality of life. 

Although performing therapy sessions is outside of the school and professional counseling scope, counselors can utilize the strategies and techniques of this theory. As a school counselor, assisting students with accepting their current situation can help, build confidence, reduce stress, and improve motivation. Mindfulness techniques can also be utilized in all types of counseling to help clients live in the moment and keep them grounded. ACT is a helpful tool for all fields of counseling to help clients work through challenging emotions and psychological issues. 

Cognitive behavior therapy serves as a precursor to acceptance and commitment therapy. ACT expanded the idea that behavior is directly affected by thoughts and feelings. Steven Haynes went off of the idea that feelings, emotions, and thoughts are interconnected, but instead of focusing on alleviating and changing those feelings, he focused on how acceptance, values, and value-motivated actions affect behavior and improve quality of life. 

References

Glasofer, D. (2015, October 29). Acceptance and commitment therapy (act) for gad. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/acceptance-commitment-therapy-gad-1393175

Psychology Today. (2017). Acceptance and commitment therapy | psychology today. Psychology Today.     https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapy-types/acceptance-and-commitment-therapy

Shpancer, N. (2019). Psychological flexibility: A core mental health asset. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/insight-therapy/201909/psychological-flexibility-core-mental-health-asset