Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) focuses on accepting and dealing with uncomfortable thoughts and feelings instead of challenging these beliefs by looking for a more rational response - a technique used in other methods of cognitive behaviour therapy. ACT incorporates acceptance and mindfulness strategies, encouraging the client to observe their experience without judgement and then work with this experience rather than against it, to bring about psychological change. Divided into two sections, the distinctive theoretical features of ACT and the distinctive practical features of ACT, this book summarises the key features of the approach in 30 concise points. "Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: Distinctive Features" provides an excellent guide to ACT and explains how the technique differs from traditional cognitive behaviour therapy. Its straightforward format will appeal to those who are new to the field, and it will be a handy reference tool for more experienced clinicians.

Table of Contents

Part I: Theory. Developments Within CBT. The History of ACT. ACT's View on Human Suffering. ACTs Underlying Philosophy: Functional Contextualism. ACT's Underlying Theory: Relational Frame Theory. 6. Psychological Flexibility. 7. Acceptance. 8. Defusion. Self-As-Context. Contact with the Present Moment. Values. Committed Action. Measuring Psychological Flexibility: The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ). Part II: Practice. ACT Case Formulation. Core Clinical Goals and Examples of Associated Intervention Techniques. The Technical Flexibility of ACT. ACT and the Therapeutic Relationship. ACT in Groups. ACT in Non-Clinical Contexts. ACT: The Evidence.

Author Biography

Goldsmiths College, University of London, UK City University, London, UK