The ACT ‘Hexaflex’
(Copyright Steven Hayes)
ACT: Acceptance & Commitment Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) works toward being present and aware, knowing our values, and taking action. Here you’ll find a brief introduction to this approach to therapy, and some practices to help develop ACT skills.
ACT is therapy that helps people be open to difficult thoughts and feelings while taking meaningful action guided by their values. The focus is on building psychological flexibility. An ACT therapist won’t directly focus on helping people to 'feel good’. Instead, they will help people be more open to the difficulties in life, and to reduce suffering caused by trying to avoid or fight against pain. The focus on the importance of being present, being aware, knowing our values, and taking valued actions in the moment. This can often lead not only to less suffering, but also more satisfaction, and happiness.
ACT has been referred to as a ‘trans-diagnostic’ model. This means that rather than looking for a diagnostic label (like depression or anxiety) and prescribing a treatment approach based only on that diagnosis, it looks at the processes underlying human suffering. In this way an ACT focused approach is flexible and can be applied to many people experiencing many different things.
ACT is a form of cognitive behavioural therapy that takes a mindful approach to thoughts and feelings. That means seeing difficult thoughts and feelings as part of being human, and not habitually focusing on changing them — but noticing them, and allowing them to come and go. ACT also focuses on staying in touch with who we want to be, and taking actions aligned with our values — even when difficult thoughts and feelings make it hard. It’s all about being more psychologically flexible.
To help people become more psychologically flexible, ACT therapists focus on six interrelated processes. These processes are illustrated in the diagram above: a hexagon showing six processes that lead to greater psychological flexibility.
You will find the six flexibility processes below, and four recordings to help practice those skills.
The 6 core processes of psychological flexibility
Defusion
Being able to step back from our thoughts, feelings and urges (rather than getting lost in them). Defusion is a key evidence-based process, which you can find more about here. It is also part of mindfulness practices, including noticing and naming, and observing and describing, which you can practice here.
Acceptance / Openness
Opening up and being willing to experience the full range of thoughts and emotions we are likely to have in our lives (rather than fighting with them, or trying to ignore them or distract ourselves from them). Acceptance / openness is also a key evidence-based process, which you can find more about here. Like defusion, it is part of mindfulness practices, including developing the mindful attitudes which are woven through mindfulness practices.
Flexible attention to the present moment
Being able to focus on what is here around us and within us now, and being able to shift our attention from one thing to another (rather than being lost in thought, and getting fixated on one thing or another). Like defusion and acceptance, flexible attention to the moment is a key element in mindfulness practices. The 5 5 5 practice is a great example of this. Grounding, a skill that helps arousal reduction and emotion regulation, also includes using flexible attention, and openness to experiences.
Self as context
Being able to observe our feelings, sensations and urges, and all of the conceptions we have about ourselves, other people, and the world (rather than being caught up in them and driven by them). Being able to look at things in a flexible way, from different perspectives.
Values
Knowing and being connected with what is important to us (rather than being out of touch with our values). Values clarification is a key evidence-based process, which you can find more about here.
Committed action
Behaving in ways that match our own personal and chosen values in different areas of life - health, family and friends, work, etc (rather than behaving in ways that go against our values). Doing this moment to moment as we go through our day.
According to an ACT worldview, if we can develop these skills in our life we will become more flexible in our thoughts, feelings and behaviours, experience less suffering, and live a more meaningful life connected to what is important to us.
If you would like to do some ACT practices, just click on the tracks in the sections above (where you will find a practice for defusion, acceptance, attention to the present moment, and self as context).