Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Essay

PAGES
2
WORDS
621
Cite

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a form of psychotherapy that is similar to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). The theory that ACT is based on is the Relational Frame Theory, which launched out of cognitive therapy, supplying missing "steps" in Skinner's behaviorism by exploring more deeply the connections between language and thought. Essentially, ACT explores the idea that what and how a person thinks is highly impactful in that individual's daily life and functioning -- and especially in how that person copes with stress, etc. But whereas CBT focuses on altering the content of one's thoughts in order to move the individual towards the target behavior, ACT focuses on changing the function of thoughts so that they do not oppress the individual. ACT, in other words, focuses on the way in which a person interacts with the interior life.Two articles that discuss ACT are "Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: Introduction" by Michael Twohig (2012) in Cognitive and Behavioral Practice and "Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: Model, processes and outcomes" by Hayes, Luoma, Bond, Masuda, Lillis et al. (2012) in Behavior Research and Therapy.

As Twohig (2012) notes, ACT targets six psychological processes for functional...

...

These targets are "acceptance, defusion, being present, self as context, values and committed action" (Twohig, 2012, p. 499). By using a functionalist technique that focuses energy on these targets, ACT is able to assist the patient in accepting the part of the self that is problematic for the patient -- as opposed to attempting to eradicate it. The technique involves showing the patient that he/she has an observant self that can accept the experiences of the self without being oppressed by them. This allows the patient to transition not to a more "in control" phase of being but rather to a more positive and accepting phase, in which commitment to a new goal with new values can be developed based on the willingness of the objective self to proceed along the lines of the target processes identified above. ACT also employs the mindfulness technique, which encourages the patient to be present, in the moment, aware of the reality of the self as a third-person observer might do. This facilitates a better functioning relationship between the self and the emotions/thoughts of the individual.
Hayes et al. (2012) indicate, however, that because the therapy is relatively new, there is needed more research as…

Cite this Document:

"Acceptance And Commitment Therapy" (2016, November 11) Retrieved April 19, 2024, from
https://www.paperdue.com/essay/acceptance-and-commitment-therapy-essay-2167716

"Acceptance And Commitment Therapy" 11 November 2016. Web.19 April. 2024. <
https://www.paperdue.com/essay/acceptance-and-commitment-therapy-essay-2167716>

"Acceptance And Commitment Therapy", 11 November 2016, Accessed.19 April. 2024,
https://www.paperdue.com/essay/acceptance-and-commitment-therapy-essay-2167716

Related Documents

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: A Review Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is a form of behavior therapy aimed at treating various different disorders, most commonly major depressive disorder. It developed from an interaction between cognitive therapy and behavior therapy, which is known as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). It adds the component of mindfulness, which is more than simply changing what a person perceives, but how those perceptions are made. The goal of MBCT

Anxiety Treating Anxiety through Talk Therapy Of the great variety of mental disorders that are recognized by our society today, generalized anxiety disorder (or GAD) is perhaps one of the more common. This type of disorder is characterized by "excessive, exaggerated anxiety and worry about everyday life events with no obvious reasons for worry" (MedicineNet, 1). People with anxiety symptoms thus tend to expect disastrous consequences for any simple life event or

Behavior Therapy
PAGES 4 WORDS 1338

Evolution and Development of Behavioral Therapy The 20th century approach to psychology is notable because, while there was an emphasis on the medical approach to treating psychological disorders, there was also a focus on nonphysiological therapies that began to gain some credence in the medical profession. While nonmedical interventions were generally dismissed, "at least some nonmedical practices were no longer widely regarded by either professionals or the general public as

Behavioral therapy has its roots in basic behaviorism, the principle that human behavior can be modified through systematic training or interventions. Since B.F. Skinner first laid the foundations for behaviorism through experimentation, the methods used in behavioral therapy have changed dramatically. Behavioral therapy, or behavior therapy, is not one but a variety of approaches that psychological counselors use to help clients change their behaviors. The Centers for Disease Control and

Family Therapy and Family
PAGES 7 WORDS 2356

Dana is a young and beautiful woman with family members that seem to constantly put her down whenever they get together. They appear to be self-centered and attention seeking. The mother has set expectations she places on her family and seems angry whenever they do not meet those expectations. For example, the mother suggested Dana get breast enlargement surgery to appease her boyfriend Matt. Her sister, Joanie also commented on

Therapy and Personhood It Is
PAGES 16 WORDS 5372

The following describes the process of Gestalt therapy: Gestalt therapy is a phenomenological-existential therapy founded by Frederick (Fritz) and Laura Perls in the 1940s. It teaches therapists and patients the phenomenological method of awareness, in which perceiving, feeling, and acting are distinguished from interpreting and reshuffling preexisting attitudes. Explanations and interpretations are considered less reliable than what is directly perceived and felt. Patients and therapists in Gestalt therapy dialogue, that is,