ACT Made Simple Dr Russ Harris

1. ACT Made SimpleDr Russ Harris You can download this presentation from the Therapists and Coaches page on: www.thehappinesstrap.com

2. Workshop Aims • Understand the ACT model • Experience the 6 core processes • Learn practical tools and techniques • Have some fun • Leave here inspired to learn more

3. What is ACT? •  Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: an empirically- supported mindfulness-based therapy, created by Steven Hayes in 1986 • Acceptanceof what is out of your personal control and Commitmentto taking action that enriches your life. • The aim of ACT is to create a rich full and meaningful life, while accepting the pain that inevitably goes with it. • Symptom reduction is not the goal

4. What is ACT? • ACT teaches psychological skills (mindfulness skills) to deal with painful thoughts and feelings more effectively – in such a way that they have much less impact and influence. • ACT helps you to clarify what is truly important and meaningful to you (your values) - then use that knowledge to guide and motivate behavioral change, to improve your quality of life.

5. What Is Mindfulness? • Mindfulness: awareness with openness and curiosity • Buddhism is often cited as the origin of mindfulness practice, but actually you can find it in all the world’s great religions • ACT is not a religion. It is a scientific evidence-based behavioral therapy, based on applied behavioral analysis.

6. 6 Core Processes of ACT The Present Moment Be here now Acceptance Open up Values Know what matters Psychological Flexibility Defusion Watch your thinking Committed action Do what works Self-as-context Pure awareness

7. The Mindfulness “Formula” • 1. Notice X • 2. Let your thoughts come and go • 3. Let your feelings be as they are • 4. Drift off, come back

8. The Mindfulness “Formula” • Alternatives to “notice”: observe, focus, pay attention to, be aware of • Alternatives to “acceptance”: allow it, open up, make room, create space, let it be, sit with it, drop the struggle, hold it gently, hold it lightly, soften up around it

9. Workability • Is what you are doing working in the long term to make life rich, full and meaningful? • If yes, keep doing it • If no, do something different • Don’t be a “mindfulness Nazi” • Fusion and avoidance are NOT inherently bad. We only target them when they get in the way of a rich and full life.

10. “Creative Hopelessness” • AKA “Confronting the agenda” • Client’s agenda: I want to control how I feel • Control is the opposite of mindfulness • 3 questions: • What have you tried? • How has it worked? • What has it cost?

11. 6 Core Processes of ACT The Present Moment Be here now Acceptance Open up Values Know what matters Psychological Flexibility Defusion Watch your thinking Committed action Do what works Self-as-context Pure awareness

12. Defusion techniques • Leaves on a stream • Let your thoughts come and go like passing cars, clouds in the sky etc. • Your mind is a story teller; thoughts are stories; • Your mind is like a radio - let it play on in the background • Use your hand as a “chatterbox” • “Hands as thoughts” metaphor

13. Defusion techniques • I’m having the thought that … • I notice I’m having the thought that … • Sing thoughts, e.g. to Happy Birthday • Hear thoughts in silly voices • Put thoughts on a computer screen and play with font, color, case, format; or animate them; or add a karaoke ball

14. Defusion techniques • Notice what your mind is telling you • How old is this story? • What happens when you get caught up in it? • Does it help you to hold this story tightly? • Does it help you to let this story run your life/ bully you around/ dictate what you do?

15. Defusion techniques • Naming the story – if we put every thought, feeling memory linked to this issue into a book or movie, what would you call it? • Repetition • Pop-up thoughts: • Children should be seen and … • Blondes have more … • Every cloud has …

16. 6 Core Processes of ACT The Present Moment Be here now Acceptance Open up Values Know what matters Psychological Flexibility Defusion Watch your thinking Committed action Do what works Self-as-context Pure awareness

17. The Mindfulness Formula • 1. Notice X • 2. Let your thoughts come and go • 3. Let your feelings be as they are • 4. Drift off, come back!

18. 6 Core Processes of ACT The Present Moment Be here now Acceptance Open up Values Know what matters Psychological Flexibility Defusion Watch your thinking Committed action Do what works Self-as-context Pure awareness

19. Values • You are 80 years old looking back on today. Complete these sentences: • I spent too much time worrying about … • I spent too little time doing things such as ….

20. Values • A value = a desired quality of ongoing action • Compass metaphor: a value is like a direction you want to move in e.g. West • Committed action is like actually travelling West • Goals are like the bridges or mountains or rivers you aim to cross. • To be loving and supportive = value • Marriage = goal

21. Values Clarification • Routine questions: what would you start/stop if this was no longer an issue? • What gives you a sense of meaning and purpose? • When do you feel most alive? • What really matters, in the big picture? • For suicidal clients: what has stopped you from killing yourself?

22. Values Clarification • 80th Birthday • Magic wand • Role models • Childhood dreams • Values questionnaires • Documentary of you – now and later

23. Values Clarification • Tombstone • Eulogy • Funeral • You know you only have one week to live,but you can’t tell anyone

24. The “I Don’t Know” Monster • What is the function of “I don’t know”? • If genuine lack of understanding: Explain values, and/or provide a list • If automatic response: Defusion • If avoidance: Defusion, Values & Workability. Facilitate willingness, then do experiential exercises

25. 6 Core Processes of ACT The Present Moment Be here now Acceptance Open up Values Know what matters Psychological Flexibility Committed action Do what works Defusion Watch your thinking Self-as-context Pure awareness

26. Committed Action • Values to goals: short, medium and long term • What’s the smallest, simplest, easiest step you can take in the next 24 hours? • Live person’s goals • Specific goals • Break goals down into actions • On a scale of 0 – 10, how likely are you to do this? If client scores 5 or less, reassess!

27. Committed Action • Write yourself a personal goal, in line with a core value, that you will do in the next week • As you do this, notice what your mind says • Now commit to doing it: tell your partner what you will do – and as you do it, notice a) how you feel and b) what your mind tells you

28. Barriers to Action • F.E.A.R. • Fusion • Excessive goals • Avoidance of discomfort • Remoteness from values

29. The Antidote to FEAR • D.A.R.E. • Defusion • Acceptance of discomfort • Realistic goals • Embracing values

30. 6 Core Processes of ACT The Present Moment Be here now Acceptance Open up Values Know what matters Psychological Flexibility Defusion Watch your thinking Committed action Do what works Self-as-context Pure awareness

31. Self-as-context • AKA self-as-perspective, the observing self, the silent self, the silent witness, • My opinion: the best term is “pure awareness” • The “part of you” that is aware of everything else • The “place” from which you observe • The chessboard metaphor

32. Self-as-context • Thinking Self versus Observing Self: playing tennis, watching a sunset • The stage show of life: on that stage is everything you can see, hear, touch, taste and smell, plus all your thoughts and feelings • You can watch any part of the show, or all of it at once • The show changes continually; the part of you that observes the show does not

33. 6 Core Processes of ACT The Present Moment Be here now Acceptance Open up Values Know what matters Psychological Flexibility Defusion Watch your thinking Committed action Do what works Self-as-context Pure awareness

34. Acceptance • Observe it: location, size, outline, depth, temperature, hot spots, cold spots, movement, weight, vibration, pulsation • Breathe into it • Open up/ make room/ create space • Allow it: you don’t have to like it or want it or approve of it; just let it be • Physicalize it: if it was an object, what shape color, texture, temperature, weight, surface would it have?

35. Acceptance • Choice: 1) no pain, but you lose your capacity to love and care or 2) you get to love and to care, but you feel pain when there’s a gap between what you want and what you’ve got. Which do you choose? • Place a hand on the pain • Soften up/ loosen up around the pain • Hold it gently, like a crying baby or a frightened puppy

36. Acceptance • Normalize: this tells you’re alive and you have a heart; this is what humans feel when there’s a gap between what you want and what you’ve got. • Expand awareness: This pain is one actor on the stage – bring up the lights on the rest of the stage show

37. Conceptualization • 1. What direction does the client want to take their life in? • 2. What’s stopping them? • a) What are they fused with? • b) What are they avoiding? • c) What ineffective actions are they taking?

38. Conceptualization ACTION ACTION Mindless Fused Avoidant Ineffective Mindful Valued Willing Effective WORKABILITY

39. A.C.B.S. – Why Join? • www.contextualpsychology.org You can download this presentation from the Therapists and Coaches page on: www.thehappinesstrap.com