ABSTRACT
In Acceptance & commitment therapy (ACT), the self is described as comprised of three parts, the self-as-content, the self-as-process, and the self-as-context. Self-as-content is the term for all the internal experiences – thoughts, beliefs, emotions, memories, and sensations. This is contrasted against self-as-context, which is the context within which all of these internal experiences occur. The self-as-process is the part of the self that is neither content nor context but the way in which different aspects of the internal experience are observed and noticed. A helpful metaphor is to think of a darkened room that holds all sorts of different objects. Relational Frame Theory has added to the ACT understanding of the self by explicating the role of language in the development of the self. From an ACT perspective, a healthy sense of self is one that is held lightly and allows for flexible responding.
