Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ─ Distinctive Features

What are the distinctive theoretical and practical features of acceptance and commitment therapy?
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a modern behaviour therapy that uses acceptance and mindfulness interventions alongside commitment and behaviour change strategies to enhance psychological flexibility. Psychological flexibility refers to the ability to contact the present moment and change or persist in behaviour that serves one’s personally chosen values.
Divided into two sections, The Distinctive Theoretical Features of ACT and The Distinctive Practical Features of ACT, this book summarises the key features of ACT in 30 concise points and explains how this approach differs from traditional cognitive behaviour therapy.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy provides an excellent guide to ACT. Its straightforward format will appeal to those who are new to the field and provide a handy reference tool for more experienced clinicians.

Paul E. Flaxman is Senior Lecturer in Psychology, City University, London. J. T. Blackledge is Assistant Professor of Psychology at Morehead State University, USA. Frank W. Bond is Professor of Psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London

Part I: The Distinctive Theoretical Features of ACT. ACT, Human Suffering and Experiential Avoidance. Developments Within CBT: ACT and the Third Wave of Behaviour Therapy. Functional Contextualism. Relational Frame Theory. Acceptance. Cognitive Defusion. Self as Context. Contact with the Present Moment. Commitment. Values. Mindfulness and Behaviour Change: Toward Psychological Flexibility. ACT and CBT: Assumptive Differences. ACT and CBT: Strategic & Technical Differences. Empirical Matters. Part II: The Distinctive Practical Features of ACT. Overview of ACT’s Therapeutic Strategies. ACT-Based Case Conceptualization. Examining the Workability of the Control/Avoidance Agenda. Creative Hopelessness. Control is the Problem, Not the Solution. Introducing Willingness as the Alternative to Control. Promoting Active Acceptance. Cognitive Defusion I: Altering Language Conventions. Cognitive Defusion II: Objectifying Psychological Content. Cultivating Mindfulness to Promote Contact with the Present Moment. Contacting the Self-as-context. Clarifying Values. Values-based Goal and Action Planning. Building Larger Patterns of Committed Action. ACT in Groups and Non-clinical Contexts. ACT’s Therapeutic Stance.