ABSTRACT

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: 100 Key Points and Techniques offers a comprehensive, yet concise, overview of the central features of the philosophy, theory, and practical application of ACT. It explains and demonstrates the range of acceptance, mindfulness, and behaviour change strategies that can be used in the service of helping people increase their psychological flexibility and wellbeing. 

Divided into three main parts, the book covers the ‘Head, Hands, and Heart’ of the approach, moving from the basics of behavioural psychology, via the key principles of Relational Frame Theory and the Psychological Flexibility model, to a detailed description of how ACT is practiced, providing the reader with a solid grounding from which to develop their delivery of ACT-consistent interventions. It concludes by addressing key decisions to make in practice and how best to attend to the therapeutic process. 

The authors of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy bring a wealth of experience of using ACT in their own therapy practice and of training and supervising others in developing knowledge and skills in the approach. This book will appeal to practitioners looking to further their theoretical knowledge and hands-on skills and those seeking a useful reference for all aspects of their ACT practice.

chapter |2 pages

Introduction

part 1|2 pages

Head

chapter 1|2 pages

The head of ACT – philosophy and theory

part |2 pages

Key behavioural principles

chapter 2|2 pages

The ‘B’ in CBT

chapter 3|2 pages

Learning by association

chapter 4|2 pages

Learning by consequence

chapter 5|2 pages

Appetitive and aversive control

chapter 6|2 pages

Functional contextualism

chapter 7|2 pages

A pragmatic truth

chapter 8|2 pages

The function of behaviour

chapter 9|2 pages

Function versus form

chapter 10|2 pages

The importance of context

chapter 11|2 pages

Learning through language and cognition

part |2 pages

Relational Frame Theory (RFT)

chapter 12|2 pages

Background to RFT

chapter 13|2 pages

Relational responding

chapter 14|3 pages

Different ways of relating

chapter 15|2 pages

Transformation of stimulus functions

chapter 16|2 pages

Coherence

chapter 17|2 pages

Language as a gift and a curse

chapter 18|2 pages

The illusion of control

chapter 19|2 pages

Experiential avoidance

chapter 20|2 pages

Cognitive fusion

chapter 21|3 pages

Rule-governed behaviour

part |2 pages

Key processes in ACT

chapter 22|2 pages

The targets of ACT

chapter 23|2 pages

Psychological flexibility

chapter 24|2 pages

Discrimination and tracking

chapter 25|2 pages

Widening behavioural repertoires

chapter 26|2 pages

A focus on process

chapter 27|3 pages

The Hexaflex model

chapter 28|2 pages

Contact with the present moment

chapter 29|2 pages

Self-as-context

chapter 30|2 pages

Acceptance

chapter 31|2 pages

Defusion

chapter 32|3 pages

Values

chapter 33|2 pages

Committed action

part 2|2 pages

Hands

part |2 pages

Assessment and formulation

chapter 35|2 pages

ACT as a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

chapter 36|2 pages

Experiential learning

chapter 37|3 pages

The utility of metaphor

chapter 38|2 pages

Retaining a process focus

chapter 39|2 pages

Open, aware, and active

chapter 40|2 pages

Focused assessment

chapter 41|2 pages

Creative hopelessness

chapter 42|2 pages

Workability

chapter 43|2 pages

Sharing the ACT model

chapter 44|2 pages

Maintenance cycles

chapter 45|2 pages

Towards and away moves

chapter 46|3 pages

The ACT matrix

part |2 pages

Techniques for moving ACT processes

chapter 47|2 pages

Contact with the present moment techniques

chapter 48|2 pages

Mindfulness with a small ‘m’

chapter 49|3 pages

Formal mindfulness exercises

chapter 50|2 pages

Self-as-context techniques

chapter 51|2 pages

The ‘sky and weather’ exercise

chapter 52|3 pages

Perspective taking

chapter 53|2 pages

Acceptance techniques

chapter 54|3 pages

The ‘tug of war’ exercise

chapter 55|2 pages

The ‘Chinese finger traps’ exercise

chapter 56|2 pages

Defusion techniques

chapter 57|2 pages

‘I’m having the thought that…’

chapter 58|2 pages

Physicalising exercises

chapter 59|2 pages

Values techniques

chapter 60|2 pages

The ‘top ten moments’ exercise

chapter 61|2 pages

An alternative ‘miracle question’

chapter 62|2 pages

Committed action techniques

chapter 64|3 pages

Exposure and inhibitory learning

part |2 pages

Structuring intervention

chapter 65|2 pages

Structuring a course of sessions

chapter 66|2 pages

Structuring a single session

chapter 67|2 pages

Using overarching metaphors

chapter 68|2 pages

The ‘passengers on the bus’ exercise

chapter 69|2 pages

The ‘lifeline steps’ exercise

part 3|2 pages

Heart

part |2 pages

ACT in context

chapter 71|2 pages

Human suffering is not a disease

chapter 72|2 pages

Fundamental human requirements

chapter 73|2 pages

Our clients are stuck, not broken

chapter 74|2 pages

The therapeutic stance

chapter 75|2 pages

ACT in a cultural context

chapter 76|2 pages

ACT and the medical model

part |2 pages

Making decisions in practice

chapter 77|2 pages

Process or protocol?

chapter 78|2 pages

Using functional analysis in session

chapter 79|2 pages

Functional analytic psychotherapy

chapter 80|2 pages

Model, initiate, reinforce

chapter 82|2 pages

Doing over talking

chapter 83|2 pages

Function over form

chapter 84|2 pages

Context over content

chapter 85|2 pages

Pragmatism over truth

chapter 86|2 pages

Working by addition

chapter 88|2 pages

Values over goals

chapter 89|2 pages

Ensuring values do not become rules

chapter 90|2 pages

Targeting metaphors

part |2 pages

Issues within the therapeutic process

chapter 91|2 pages

When control and avoidance might be good

chapter 92|2 pages

Self-disclosure

chapter 93|2 pages

Staying present

chapter 94|3 pages

Awareness of therapist fusion

chapter 95|2 pages

Steering clear of the ‘fix-it’ trap

chapter 96|2 pages

Staying with difficult emotions

chapter 97|2 pages

Learning to love your self-doubt

chapter 98|2 pages

Modelling the model

chapter 99|3 pages

The ‘on track, off track’ exercise

chapter 100|2 pages

Maintaining fidelity to the model