Full Description
This book empowers both new and seasoned clinicians to enhance their proficiency in acceptance and commitment therapy. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is rooted in a behavioral and contextual understanding of human suffering, with language and cognition playing a central role. While the capacity for language enables creativity, planning, and connection, it also allows humans to engage in internal dialogue that can generate and prolong distress, increasing suffering. ACT is a psychological intervention that aims to increase psychological flexibility—the ability to stay present, open up to experience, and take action guided by deeply held values.
With their book, the authors aim to help newer and seasoned clinicians understand the underpinnings of ACT, and learn and develop skills in implementing ACT as an integrated therapy. Deliberate practice of ACT is designed to guide readers through learning ACT in a structured, step-by-step way—from core theory and model to applied clinical skills. The book is organized into a series of parts that build on one another, each laying the foundation for the next to support deep, integrated learning. Chapters address basic, intermediate, and advanced skills development, complemented with engaging personal and clinical practice exercises to help readers understand the process both conceptually and experientially. The book offers theory and skills building on a personal level by inviting readers to examine the impact of ACT concepts on their own experience before applying them in session, and to practice exploring the full model with feedback from students and other professionals interested in learning ACT.
Contents
Introduction: Orientation to the Deliberate Practice of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
I. Overview of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Deliberate Practice
1. Foundations of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Deliberate Practice
II. Theoretical Underpinnings of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
2. Functional Contextualism Defined and Explored
3. Behavioral Principles in Applied Work: Using the Functional Analysis Framework
4. Relational Frame Theory Defined and Explored
5. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Suffering
6. Psychological Flexibility
III. Beginner: Introduction to the Six Core Processes of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
7. Flexible Experiencing in Action: Acceptance
8. Flexible Experiencing in Action: Defusion
9. Flexible Experiencing in Action: Present Moment
10. Experiencing Self-as-Context: Flexible Perspective Taking
11. Values-Based Behavior: Chosen Purpose
12. Committed Action: Behavioral Flexibility
IV. Intermediate: Skills Building in the Six Core Processes of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
13. Case Conceptualization
14. Skill Building and Competencies: Acceptance
15. Skill Building and Competencies: Defusion
16. Skill Building and Competencies: Contact With the Present Moment
17. Skill Building and Competencies in Perspective Taking: Self-as-Context
18. Skill Building and Competencies in Values-Based Living: Chosen Purpose
19. Skill Building and Competencies in Committed Action: Behavioral Flexibility
V. Advanced: Integration of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Pillars and the Therapeutic Relationship
20. Open, Aware, and Engaged: Integrating the Three Pillars
21. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Skill in the Therapeutic Relationship and Alliance
22. Relationship Rupture
Epilogue: Exploring the Future
References
Index
About the Authors
