ABSTRACT
The ‘Passengers on the Bus’ is a comprehensive metaphor that brings together all the component processes of Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT). The alternative is to mindfully move towards the values, whilst bringing the passengers along. An animation of the metaphor has been created which can supplement the verbal description and is available on YouTube entitled, ‘Passengers on a bus–an ACT metaphor’. The metaphor represents mindful acceptance and defusion as an alternative stance towards passengers, in the service of retaining a focus on values-based actions. Two published group interventions use the metaphor in this way; ACT for employee wellbeing and ACT for psychosis. Rather than a verbal or visual description only, it can be particularly powerful to act out the various parts of the metaphor.
