Chapter 13: Acceptance And Inteventions Flashcards
Dialects
way to bring opposing forces together
– A therapist with certain ideas of healthy behavior, and a distressed, dysfunctional client
ACT focuses on
noticing unwanted thoughts as
experiences; not as obstructions
• Interventions gaining popularity
– Compliment traditional behavioral and cognitive interventions
Relational frame theory
ability to form relationships between concepts
experiential avoidance
of unpleasant thoughts, experiences
– Causes distress, interferes with normal functioning
– Plays a role in clinical problems (anxiety, depression, substance use, borderline personality disorder)
psychological flexibility
the
opposite of experiential avoidance
Acceptance
Making room for unpleasant private experiences; allowing them to come and go without struggling with them or giving them too much attention
Cognitive defusion
Learning to perceive private experiences as bits of language, words, and pictures, rather than taking them as facts
Contact w/ the present moment
Bringing full awareness to the here and now; focusing on, and engaging fully in, whatever one is doing
The observing self
Understanding that thoughts and feelings are not the essence of who we are; they are just aspects of us that change constantly
Values
Clarifying what is most important, significant, and meaningful in life
Committed action
Setting goals, guided by values, and taking action to achieve them
Implementing acceptance
• An alternative to experiential
avoidance
• Clients make space for unpleasant
thoughts, experiences, by “opening up” to them
Mindfulness
Learning how to become aware of the present moment without judgment
Distress tolerance
Accepting reality as it is and learning to effectively manage adversity
Emotion regulation
Understanding and reducing vulnerability to strong emotions
Interpersonal effectiveness
Developing skills for cultivating and maintaining interpersonal relationships
Crisis survival skills
might be learned and practiced in distress tolerance
Self-soothing
Alleviating distress through comforting and nurturing oneself when experiencing a crisis.
Clients assemble a kit of self-soothing material for the five senses (e.g., favorite music, photos of loved ones, soft blanket, coffee, scented candle) that they access to mentally ground themselves when experiencing a crisis.
T.I.P.P skills
Using Temperature (e.g., cold water), Intense exercise, Paced breathing, or P rogressive muscle relaxation to reduce intense emotional arousal.
S.T.O.P skills
Learning to respond to crises in the following way: Stop and do nothing instead of the typical reaction, Take a step back and a deep breath, Observe what’s happening in the situation, and Proceed using mindfulness and acceptance skills.
Pros and cons
Taking a moment to think logically (perhaps making a list of pros and cons) about the situation and next steps so that decisions are made thoughtfully and carefully, rather than impulsively and based on strong emotions.
Radical acceptance
Observing the situation as it is without judgment or trying to change it (i.e., “It is what it is”), and understanding that some things are simply out of our control.
Distraction
Temporarily doing something else until the client is able to more calmly approach the crisis situation. This might involve physically leaving a location, or engaging in an action such as calling a friend or playing with pets.
Improving the moment
Using other strategies to get through the crisis, such as trying to find a sense of purpose in the crisis, praying, using muscle relaxation, and breaking the crisis down into parts that can be addressed one at a time.
Emotion regulation skills
-clients understand functions of emotions, modify inappropriate behavioral tendencies associated with them
• Clients taught to identify, label emotions, and not to act immediately
Opposite action
behaving contrary to urge
provoked by strong emotion
– This creates more choices for client
– Promotes resilience
Interpersonal Effectiveness
• Clients focus on conflict resolution, active listening, assertiveness strategies; balance priorities, demands
G.I.V.E.: Interpersonal effectiveness skills:
• Gentle. Don’t attack, threaten, or judge others
• Interest. Use good listening skills (e.g., don’t
interrupt)
• Validate. Acknowledge the other person’s thoughts
• Easy. Try to have a leisurely attitude
Scientific Support
• ACT can be more effective than no treatment
• Can be effectively delivered with adults, children,
individually, in groups, online, outpatient,
intensive treatment settings
• ACT not more effective than other CBTs
• Helpful for those with emotion regulation
difficulties
Criticisms
• Concerns about using ACT with those having autism spectrum disorder, learning disabilities, attention difficulties
• Difference between CBT and third-wave
treatments is questionable
• Ideas and techniques in third-wave interventions may not be entirely novel
• DBT is demanding for clients and therapists
