A brief overview of Acceptance & Commitment Therapy

A narrated powerpoint presentation providing a brief overview of the core elements of Acceptance& Commitment Therapy. It's mainly intended as a refresher for those who've done some training previously, but could also help orient someone about to do some training.

[mikey]

Just viewed this terrific presentation. As a psychotherapist of nearly 30 years having only recently encountered ACT, I find this approach very compelling. The processes and procedures it offers to the working clinician are immediately useful. Dr. Owen's video summary is well done. It makes me want to learn more.

[kathleenc]

I have been participating in an ACT program (chronic pain, depression) at Stanford University for two years and have found it very helpful, but have "hit a ceiling." After viewing your presentation, the missing pieces are falling into place, and my motivation is up. Thank you.

[markthompson]

I was fortunate indeed to take part in summer 2011 in what was one of the first "ACT" courses run within the NHS.
Taking part was suggested by my Coach at the time after he showed me how to break my 4 year life threatening addiction to alcohol.
His own course to break my addiction was based upon the principles of neuroplasticity.
That course took 4 sessions totalling 10 hours to complete the coaching.
4 Saturday mornings later I was set permanently free from addiction.

Back to "ACT" I couldn't recommend it highly enough

[luigipati]

Have read your book Facing The Storm, and will read Living With The Enemy too. It is interesting to note that the rejection of being "happy" as the default of human beings was actually expressed by Schopenhauer, whom, strangely, people classify as "pessimistic". I see many parallels between his philosophy and ACT. Another one is compassion.

[judy]

Hi Ray, thank you for your very helpful summary! A great ACT self-help book is also The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris. I frequently recommend this book to my clients who have found reading it immensely beneficial.

[jdk]

I like how well you presented the limitations and evidence against the model. Will be sure to refer to this style in my next assessment i think

[جابرالسهرودي]

Thank you Dr Owen. The presentation is very comprehensive.

[integralstanley]

Minute 16.40 presents a nice map of what moving forward to a more fulfilling life could look like. Thanks.

[themortalriver]

Thank you for this succinct, clear overview of ACT. Exactly what I was looking for.

[amirfatemi]

Thank you for this. This could change lives.

[ajmarr]

Why ACT is right
Behavior analysis is a pragmatic discipline, and is persuasive because of the efficacy of its procedures, not its explanations. Nonetheless, an explanation of how affective states ‘work’ can demonstrate that ‘Acceptance and Commitment’ is not only a byword for a set of psychotherapeutic procedures, but demonstrably also for a very simple procedure for mental hygiene, or the control of positive affect. This provides not only a new procedure for emotional control, but a validation of ACT as the most efficacious way for self-control.

To wit, ‘acceptance’, as reflected in mindfulness procedure, induces relaxation, which is marked by a feeling of pleasure as reflected by opioid release. ‘Commitment’, as reflected by the continuous pursuit and apprehension of positive values, produces a feeling of attentive arousal that is reflected by the release of the neuromodulator dopamine. Dopamine and opioid neurons are adjacent to each other in the midbrain, and when simultaneously activated stimulate each other, or are synergistic. This results in a heightened feeling of pleasure and arousal or joy, and reinforces a commitment to a meaningful lifestyle. This can be easily demonstrated procedurally, not to mention providing an easy way of falsifying my argument.

A more formal explanation of this procedure from affective neuroscience is provided on pp. 44-52 in a little open-source book on the psychology of rest linked below.

[gettingbettereveryday]

I'm working on my mental health and what you've covered here really resonated - great stuff - thankyou!

[-._]

Excellent introduction and sharing of related resources, thanks!

[sarahsimpson]

Brilliant! So helpful thanks for sharing your wisdom

[cabincounselling]

Really found this overview very helpful. Thank you.

[MikeCoulter]

Great overview, hugely useful, (even for a civilian like me ;-) Thank you Ray.

[drsbox]

Hi Ray, great presentation, look forward to reading ACT made simple !

[mshala]

Amazing. Thank you for your description of ACT.

[FaisalKhan-jgkg]

Thanks Dr Ray, very clear and informative.

[stephanforster]

Thx this was helpful to get InTouch with the topic, order learning ACT as you recommended