Throughout life, we will experience many situations and circumstances that are out of our control. In the face of these situations, our values can help guide our behavior and how we respond to them. When we lack values, however, we may feel constantly disoriented and confused about the next step to take. Fortunately, with the guidance of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), we can feel encouraged and supported in identifying our values and living more consistently with them. This process begins by increasing our psychological flexibility to, ultimately, adapt and respond to life as it unfolds.
At Wisconsin Wellness, we offer outpatient mental health and behavioral health treatment to individuals striving for greater mental wellness. We are a clinic that is dedicated to meeting the individualized needs of our clients, which is why we cater our unique treatment approaches to the needs and wellness goals of each client we serve. By participating in our program services and associated modalities like ACT, each client has the opportunity to improve their lives, regardless of the diagnoses or symptoms they face.
At our facility, ACT stands out from other treatment approaches because it challenges resistance, helping clients behave in ways that are consistent with their personal values. Experience transformative acceptance and commitment therapy for improved mental well-being by getting connected with us today.
Introduction to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Addressing the Inevitable Role of Pain
Pain is a shared experience in human life. Living with mental, physical, and emotional pains is often both distressing and uncomfortable, triggering a combination of difficult feelings and emotions. For instance, some commonly shared emotional pains include feelings of helplessness, disappointment, grief, and shame. Because the weight of these emotions can feel too heavy to bear, many people may respond with efforts to eliminate or suppress them.
There are many maladaptive behaviors that individuals may turn to in an effort to suppress or alleviate pain. For example, some individuals may engage in self-harming or risky behaviors. Others may adopt harmful thought patterns and intrusive thoughts that lead them to believe they are not worthy of a life without suffering. Yet, arguably, the most common maladaptive behavior that individuals may turn to in an attempt to deal with pain is alcohol and drug use.
Those who engage in these types of behaviors do so to experience temporary feelings of relief or distraction from the various pains they may be dealing with in daily life. Over time, however, these efforts to navigate and suppress pain can make individuals vulnerable to worsening mental and physical health problems. This is because maladaptive behaviors prevent individuals from adjusting or adapting to life as it unfolds (known as experiential avoidance), leading to increased resistance and anxiety.
No person should feel embarrassed or guilty for wanting to live a life without pain or engaging in behaviors that seemingly take the pain away. However, since pain is inevitable in human life, we must be willing to acknowledge pain not as something that should be suppressed but rather as something that we must adapt to. With ACT, each individual can challenge feelings of denial and resistance and embrace the full range of their emotions and experiences to, ultimately, increase their quality of life.
Transforming Pain With Psychological Flexibility
As stated by Neurotherapeutics, “Over the past 25 years, behavioral interventions that incorporate mindfulness and acceptance have emerged as an evolution of the cognitive behavioral psychotherapy tradition. One of these novel modalities is ACT, which begins with the fundamental understanding that pain, grief, loss, disappointment, illness, fear, and anxiety are inevitable features of human life.”
Unlike other treatment modalities, like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), for example, ACT does not help clients alter or challenge harmful thought patterns and behaviors. Rather, ACT focuses on guiding clients in accepting uncomfortable thoughts and experiences, enabling them to coexist among them and remain resilient in the face of them. As the aforementioned article also states, “Increased engagement in meaningful life activities, even while experiencing negative thoughts and emotions or other difficulties, is accomplished in ACT by cultivating psychological flexibility.”
With psychological inflexibility, an individual may feel confined to rigid thought patterns and persistent feelings of doubt and confusion. Some qualities that define psychological inflexibility include:
- Experiential avoidance (mentioned earlier)
- The conceptualized self
- Rigid attention to the past or future
- Fusion
- Unclear values
- Inaction, impulsivity, or persistent avoidance
The 6 Core Principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
On the other hand, according to the Clinical Psychology Review, psychological flexibility is defined as “being aware of thoughts and feelings that unfold in the present moment without needless defense, and depending on what the situation affords, persisting or changing behavior to pursue central interests and goals.” The psychological flexibility model, which is the foundational model of ACT, consists of six core principles that all work together to improve mental health and quality of life. These principles are as follows:
#1. Defusion
The first principle of ACT is defusion. First, cognitive fusion is the experience of believing the unhelpful stories that your mind creates, so much so that you are unable to identify or accept the reality of a situation. Conversely, cognitive defusion involves intentional efforts to create distance between what your mind is telling you vs. what is actually happening in the present moment. Part of this process calls us to understand the impact that our thoughts have on our behavior. As we learn to become curious about our thoughts, we can reduce the impact that harmful thoughts may have on our behavior.
Defusion can become easier over time through ACT with mindfulness strategies like meditation. With meditation, you become the observer of your thoughts. Whenever a thought comes into your mind, imagine yourself attaching it to a cloud and watching it float away. Resist attaching judgment or emotion to the thought. With a more consistent meditation or mindfulness practice, defusion will become easier, enabling you to realize that your thoughts do not have inherent power over you.
#2. Acceptance
The next principle of ACT is acceptance. Acceptance is the experience of embracing the present moment (including sensations, emotions, and experiences) without attempting to control the direction or outcome. According to Frontiers in Psychology, “The psychological flexibility model contends it is not the content of emotions that become problematic to a quality life but rather problems arise when individuals interact with these events in an avoidant way.” Cultivating acceptance directly challenges resistance, experiential avoidance, and the potential harm that these experiences can bring to an individual’s life.
Some strategies used in ACT therapy to guide individuals in cultivating and embracing acceptance in life include:
- Engaging in self-compassion exercises, such as repeating affirmations and prioritizing self-care
- Physicalizing thoughts and emotions
- Focusing on the beauty of the present moment
#3. Flexible Attention to the Present Moment
Another principle of ACT is flexible attention to the present moment, including both an individual’s internal and external experience. Increasing flexible attention to the present moment occurs through the cultivation of mindfulness, becoming more aware of all that is happening inside you and around you without trying to judge, resist, or alter anything. Additionally, the key to flexible attention is effectively shifting attention between different sensations or stimuli while remaining in the moment rather than falling into the past or jumping into the future.
Many people may struggle to sustain attention to the present moment due to anxieties and fears about the future or worries and regrets about the past. Yet, increasing flexible attention to the present moment ensures that each individual can effectively respond to present demands instead of focusing on rumination or anticipation. As highlighted by the aforementioned article in Frontiers in Psychology, “When individuals attend flexibly, fluidly, and voluntarily to the immediately relevant internal and external environment, performance demands can be better adjusted to what is presently occurring.”
Alongside ACT, many strategies may be used to guide clients in increasing flexible attention to the present moment. In addition to establishing a regular meditation practice, clients may likely be encouraged to tap into their senses using breathwork, stretching, yoga, and other exercises.
#4. Self-as-Context
Frontiers in Psychology defines self-as-context as “the perspective skills needed for an individual to report on their own behavior from a consistent perspective or point of view.” In other words, it is the ability to have a stable sense of self that is not altered or changed by thoughts or feelings. The defusion section mentioned above discussed becoming the observer of your thoughts. Self-as-context is characterized by this viewpoint, allowing each of us to observe our thoughts and feelings in the present moment without getting caught up in them.
Some exercises that encourage clients to cultivate self-as-context in ACT include noticing when you self-identify with a particular feeling as if it is who you are. For example, notice the difference between “I am sad” and “I feel sad” or “I am an addict” and “I have an addiction.” Person-first language helps individuals recognize that their identity is not limited by a presenting concern, ailment, or emotion. Rather, it ensures that they have a consistent sense of self that is set to evolve and transform over time.
#5. Values
Another principle of ACT is values, more specifically, identifying values and living a life that consistently prioritizes them. According to Behavior Analysis in Practice, “[V]alues represent intangible outcomes of purposive action that are meaningful to the individual.” They represent the principles that, ultimately, govern how you want to act. As stated in the introduction, the values we hold influence our behavior and patterns of actions we take to respond to any given situation. Yet, many of us may lack clear values, which causes us to experience low self-esteem and even feelings of helplessness.
In ACT, connecting to values is a vital aspect of the therapeutic process. With the guidance and support of professionals, clients will be encouraged to reflect on what they want most from their lives and how they’d like to live their lives each day. Identifying core values ensures that each client feels motivated to persevere in the face of adversity and pain when it surfaces in daily life.
Many values may be discussed in ACT, each with its own unique meaning and ability to enhance psychological flexibility. Some core values that may be emphasized in treatment for improving mental health and wellness include:
- Compassion
- Connection
- Adaptability
- Courage
- Honesty
- Authenticity
- Respect
- Personal responsibility
- Open-mindedness
Once an individual has identified their values, they can work alongside a professional to determine the best course(s) of action to take in daily life, ensuring that their behaviors align with their values. Additionally, in the face of adversity or other challenges, individuals can fall back on their values to prioritize healthy behaviors and improve their mental well-being.
#6. Committed Action
The last principle of ACT is committed action, which involves committing to healthy behavior change according to your values while remaining as present as possible in the now. As stated by Frontiers in Psychology, “As part of psychological flexibility, committed action takes the role of expanding an individual’s valued responses into larger and larger patterns of activity.” Like all other principles of ACT, committed action is an ongoing process that calls you to take action to get you closer to your values.
The process of committed action can begin once personal values have been identified. Following this, each person can create short- and long-term goals that will bring them closer to their values in their present reality.
Strategies for Committing to Your Values Through ACT
When committing to your values, it is first important to assess your priority values. You may have a plethora of values that are important to you, so narrowing down your top values can help. Alongside this, it can be helpful to spend some time visualizing and articulating what these values look like in practice. Using meditation techniques, imagery, journaling, and other creative modalities as outlets can ensure that you have a good idea of what it will look like to prioritize such values in your life.
Another strategy that can help you commit to your values involves identifying any gaps between your values and your current behavior. This may also involve reflecting on personal limitations as well as capabilities. By identifying these gaps, you can also bring to light the potential actions and choices that you can make to close them.
Outside of personal reflection, taking action is also essential. Prioritizing connections with your family, friends, and community can provide you with ample opportunities to put your values into action. For a value like honesty, taking action can be as simple as practicing honesty in every conversation. Yet, it is important to also reflect your values back onto yourself, such as practicing and implementing honesty through self-talk.
Transforming Values With ACT at Wisconsin Wellness
At Wisconsin Wellness, we cater treatment to anyone seeking to enhance and improve their lives. We offer a wide range of therapeutic services geared towards not only individuals but also families and communities as a whole. ACT, in particular, can guide individuals in living a life free from resistance, enabling them to behave in ways that bring them toward their values. By increasing psychological flexibility, our clients can learn how to thrive in the face of adversity.
In light of ACT, potential clients can benefit from knowing the values of our clinical approach, which include:
- Unconditional commitment to clients
- Team efforts
- Respect and humility
- Evidence-based practice
- High performance
Moreover, being transparent about our own values can help our clients not only hold us accountable but feel uniquely supported in their own journey to mental wellness. To learn more about how we can help you increase psychological flexibility, identify your values, and improve your overall well-being, give us a call today.
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a type of mindfulness-based psychotherapy that provides individuals with tools to help them stay as present as possible in the moment. It challenges experiential avoidance, rumination, anticipation, and more through the use of mindfulness strategies and cognitive principles, including defusion, acceptance, self-as-context, values, committed action, and flexible attention to the present moment. By identifying personal values, each person can have a clearer vision of what actions and behaviors align with those values. At Wisconsin Wellness, we are committed to guiding our clients in improving and enhancing mental wellness. No matter what presenting concerns you may have, we have the tools and professional support available to effectively enhance your mental well-being. Call (920) 404-2100.