Learning ACT : an acceptance and commitment therapy skills training manual for therapists

Acceptance and commitment therapy is one of the most exciting developments in psychotherapy to occur in the last fifty years. ACT departs from conventional psychotherapeutic models, which strive to "fix", "control", or "get rid of" unwanted thoughts and behaviours. Instead, it demonstrates how to accept uncomfortable or painful situations without engaging with them, allowing them to pass away or diminish as they will. The therapy helps clients assess their own values and commit to acting on them in ways that lead to richer, more fulfilling lives. ACT is profound, revolutionary - and it works. As a result, thousand of therapists, new and experienced, are seeking to incorporate ACT work into their practices."Learning ACT" describes the six core therapeutic processes of ACT, outlining the theoretical background that sets the stage for the rest of the book. Then it outlines a process for case conceptualization from an ACT perspective and gives readers an opportunity to practice conceptualizing cases. Readers learn the ACT approach to establishing an effective and powerful therapeutic relationship and opportunities are provided for readers to practice their therapeutic relationship skills. A DVD included with the text offers role-played examples of the core ACT processes in action on both audio and video. In these examples, a picture is worth a thousand words, bringing to life the concepts developed in the text.