Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
So whilst it may be a difficult truth, ACT asks us to acknowledge that we all have very little control over our thinking. It is the nature of the mind for thoughts to endlessly come and go. However, what we do have control over is how we respond to the thoughts that arise. In ACT, we learn to watch our unhelpful thinking from a distance and choose how we want to response to what comes up. In this approach, we learn to take unhelpful thoughts less seriously. Armed with this understanding, we are asked to begin to accept our difficulties and commit to making necessary changes in our behaviour, regardless of what is going on in our lives and how we feel about it.
ACT was developed in the 1980s by psychologist Steven C. Hayes, who following his own mental health challenges vowed that he would no longer run from himself – he would accept himself and his experiences. “We are treating our own lives as problems to be solved as if we can sort through our experiences for the ones we like and throw out the rest”, Hayes wrote in Psychology Today.
ACT is built around core principles:
- Connect with the present moment and practise acceptance: Conscious awareness of our experience in the present moment enables us to perceive accurately what is happening. Then, instead of trying to push away or control ‘negative’ feelings like anxiety or sadness, ACT teaches us to accept them as part of life. This isn’t meant to suggest a resignation to them, instead a learning to coexist with them in a healthier way. Here Dr Russ Harris, one of the foremost experts in ACT, expands on this aspect in his video ‘The Struggle Switch’ :
In ACT, we learn to watch our unhelpful thinking from a distance and choose how we want to response to what comes up.
- Cognitive Defusion: ACT seeks to help us create distance from our thinking, by understanding that thoughts are just thoughts – not facts or commands. The intention is to help reduce their power over us, and allow us to respond to them more flexibly. An excerpt from a Steven C. Hayes therapy session sees him about to use this technique: Cognitive Defusion.
- Commitment to Values: ACT encourages us to identify our core values and commit to actions that align with those values, even in the presence of discomfort. This can lead to more purposeful and fulfilling lives, explained here by Russ Harris:
Through these methods, ACT supports us in letting go of the struggle against our inner experiences and instead focus on living in line with our values. The goal is not to eliminate emotional or physical pain but to live a meaningful life, despite it.
What if you could accept and allow yourself to feel what you feel, even if it’s negative?
