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Basics[edit]
ACT is developed within a pragmatic philosophy called functional contextualism. ACT is based on relational frame theory (RFT), a comprehensive theory of language and cognition that is an offshoot of behavior analysis. ACT differs from traditional cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in that rather than trying to teach people to better control their thoughts, feelings, sensations, memories and other private events, ACT teaches them to "just notice," accept, and embrace their private events, especially previously unwanted ones.
ACT helps the individual get in contact with a transcendent sense of self known as "self-as-context"—the you that is always there observing and experiencing and yet distinct from one's thoughts, feelings, sensations, and memories. ACT aims to help the individual clarify their personal values and to take action on them, bringing more vitality and meaning to their life in the process, increasing their psychological flexibility.[3]
While Western psychology has typically operated under the "healthy normality" assumption which states that by their nature, humans are psychologically healthy, ACT assumes, rather, that psychological processes of a normal human mind are often destructive.[7] The core conception of ACT is that psychological suffering is usually caused by experiential avoidance, cognitive entanglement, and resulting psychological rigidity that leads to a failure to take needed behavioral steps in accord with core values. As a simple way to summarize the model, ACT views the core of many problems to be due to the concepts represented in the acronym, FEAR:
Fusion with your thoughts
Evaluation of experience
Avoidance of your experience
Reason-giving for your behavior
And the healthy alternative is to ACT:
Accept your reactions and be present
Choose a valued direction
Take action
Core principles[edit]
ACT commonly employs six core principles to help clients develop psychological flexibility:[7]
Cognitive defusion: Learning methods to reduce the tendency to reify thoughts, images, emotions, and memories.
Acceptance: Allowing thoughts to come and go without struggling with them.
Contact with the present moment: Awareness of the here and now, experienced with openness, interest, and receptiveness.
Observing the self: Accessing a transcendent sense of self, a continuity of consciousness which is unchanging.
Values: Discovering what is most important to one's true self.[8]
Committed action: Setting goals according to values and carrying them out responsibly.
Evidence[edit]
ACT is developed within a pragmatic philosophy called functional contextualism. ACT is based on relational frame theory (RFT), a comprehensive theory of language and cognition that is an offshoot of behavior analysis. ACT differs from traditional cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in that rather than trying to teach people to better control their thoughts, feelings, sensations, memories and other private events, ACT teaches them to "just notice," accept, and embrace their private events, especially previously unwanted ones.
ACT helps the individual get in contact with a transcendent sense of self known as "self-as-context"—the you that is always there observing and experiencing and yet distinct from one's thoughts, feelings, sensations, and memories. ACT aims to help the individual clarify their personal values and to take action on them, bringing more vitality and meaning to their life in the process, increasing their psychological flexibility.[3]
While Western psychology has typically operated under the "healthy normality" assumption which states that by their nature, humans are psychologically healthy, ACT assumes, rather, that psychological processes of a normal human mind are often destructive.[7] The core conception of ACT is that psychological suffering is usually caused by experiential avoidance, cognitive entanglement, and resulting psychological rigidity that leads to a failure to take needed behavioral steps in accord with core values. As a simple way to summarize the model, ACT views the core of many problems to be due to the concepts represented in the acronym, FEAR:
Fusion with your thoughts
Evaluation of experience
Avoidance of your experience
Reason-giving for your behavior
And the healthy alternative is to ACT:
Accept your reactions and be present
Choose a valued direction
Take action
Core principles[edit]
ACT commonly employs six core principles to help clients develop psychological flexibility:[7]
Cognitive defusion: Learning methods to reduce the tendency to reify thoughts, images, emotions, and memories.
Acceptance: Allowing thoughts to come and go without struggling with them.
Contact with the present moment: Awareness of the here and now, experienced with openness, interest, and receptiveness.
Observing the self: Accessing a transcendent sense of self, a continuity of consciousness which is unchanging.
Values: Discovering what is most important to one's true self.[8]
Committed action: Setting goals according to values and carrying them out responsibly.
Evidence[edit]
I was out there reading this until I got to the acronym meanings. Started to get a little clearer. Then I re-read it again and then once more. You made me work my mind, brother and still not sure whether or not I got it.
I am not usually into psychology but for some reason I was interested in this piece and was trying to dissect it. I definitely like the core principles of ACT. I believe it allows the process of "going forward' to be much easier. I am into "acceptance", "choosing a valued direction" and "taking action".
I understand that "avoidance" is not good; and I understand and, personally, agree with "just notice" and "accept"; however, my question is about the term "embrace". To me, it means hold on to. Is that what they are saying? If so, I am not certain I agree with that.. What is the purpose of "embracing" or "holding on to"?
Bible scriptures, for me, are much clearer and easier to understand. And, ironically, often say the same thing as good psychology.
Thanks for article and it was a good exercise for my mind.
Looks like we need some clarification(lol). I respect your thoughts and waiting to hear your reply.
PS Still staying with plans to see Mom and ED on Thanksgiving? And then trying to see rest of family? I pray you make it safely to both places and if you make it to other daughters and families, at least you will be able to take a sigh of relief when you arrive and just sit and enjoy being there. I guess as parents (and adult children) we will continue to try and please them. Maybe some day they will reciprocate.....maybe.....
We all know that dealing with estrangement is a process. In my case, it was a very painful 10-year process and with one daughter, it is still on-going. I spent alot of money on therapists. Otherwise, I would be in someone's looney bin by now.
When you spend your entire life sacrificing for your kids and then they turn on you and do everything possible to hurt you, what do you do?
The answer is that there are many good scientific answers. In layman's terms, all we say is "go see a shrink. Or, you need to see a therapist." Well, those highly-trained people rely on scientific principles, some of which are posted at the top of this thread. What I have come to share is the fact that the behavioral sciences offer helpful answers for us. We don't need to go out and get a PhD, but it would definitely help if we understood that we cannot just keep feeling bad and responding with resentment - it won't help. I synthesize the article as follows, but please take your own interpretation and share more research with us:
We must learn to separate the admittedly, enormous psychological impact of estrangement from the affirmative steps that we must take to reach a healthy emotional state. If we never learn this process we may be doomed to experiencing a lifetime of unnecessary hurt, anger, pain, or even chance of reconciliation. The first thing is to educate ourselves, and to start thinking differently about the problem.
When it first happened to me, all I could think about was things like: "How dare you!" "Are you kidding me?" "After all I've done for you?" "I don't deserve this." "What did I do wrong?" Then there are all the defense mechanisms we construct in our minds that the EC know all too well - and are just waiting for us to spring on them. It takes months, years, too long before we recognize that none of it matters. A good therapist will teach us FEAR and ACT, and charge us alot of money for it; money well-spent, by the way.
Take the time to grieve. You owe it to yourself. But, eventually, we just have to take that step off the emotional hamster wheel. "Choose a valued direction." Then take that path.
best wishes,
--EJ
Now.....we gotta Just Do It!
http://snickers.typepad.com/estrangements/guidelines-for-being-estranged.html
--EJ
Good luck with all of your tomorrows!
--EJ
(( GROUP HUGS))
I found line dancing.. well not yet, but it's my plans! ;-)
GL 2 all in finding fun again! :)
{{hugz}}
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