1. ACT Made Simple Dr Russ Harris
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2. Workshop Aims Understand the ACT model Experience the 6 core processes
Learn practical tools and techniques
Have some fun
Leave here inspired to learn more

3. What is ACT?
 Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: an empirically- supported mindfulness-based therapy, created by Steven Hayes in 1986
Acceptance of what is out of your personal control and Commitment to taking action that enriches your life.
The aim of ACT is to create a rich full and meaningful life, while accepting the pain that inevitably goes with it.
Symptom reduction is not the goal

4. What is ACT?
ACT teaches psychological skills (mindfulness skills) to deal with painful thoughts and feelings more effectively – in such a way that they have much less impact and influence.
ACT helps you to clarify what is truly important and meaningful to you (your values) - then use that knowledge to guide and motivate behavioral change, to improve your quality of life.

5. What Is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness: awareness with openness and curiosity
Buddhism is often cited as the origin of mindfulness practice, but actually you can find it in all the world’s great religions
ACT is not a religion. It is a scientific evidence-based behavioral therapy, based on applied behavioral analysis.

6. 6 Core Processes of ACT Psychological Flexibility The Present Moment
Be here now
Acceptance
Open up
Values
Know what matters
Psychological Flexibility
Defusion
Watch your thinking
Committed action
Do what works
Self-as-context
Pure awareness

7. The Mindfulness “Formula”
1. Notice X
2. Let your thoughts come and go
3. Let your feelings be as they are
4. Drift off, come back

8. The Mindfulness “Formula”
Alternatives to “notice”: observe, focus, pay attention to, be aware of
Alternatives to “acceptance”: allow it, open up, make room, create space, let it be, sit with it, drop the struggle, hold it gently, hold it lightly, soften up around it

9. Workability
Is what you are doing working in the long term to make life rich, full and meaningful?
If yes, keep doing it
If no, do something different
Don’t be a “mindfulness Nazi”
Fusion and avoidance are NOT inherently bad. We only target them when they get in the way of a rich and full life.

10. “Creative Hopelessness”
AKA “Confronting the agenda”
Client’s agenda: I want to control how I feel
Control is the opposite of mindfulness
3 questions:
What have you tried?
How has it worked?
What has it cost?

11. 6 Core Processes of ACT Defusion Psychological Flexibility
The Present Moment
Be here now
Acceptance
Open up
Values
Know what matters
Psychological Flexibility
Defusion
Watch your thinking
Committed action
Do what works
Self-as-context
Pure awareness

12. Defusion techniques Leaves on a stream
Let your thoughts come and go like passing cars, clouds in the sky etc.
Your mind is a story teller; thoughts are stories;
Your mind is like a radio - let it play on in the background
Use your hand as a “chatterbox”
“Hands as thoughts” metaphor

13. Defusion techniques I’m having the thought that …
I notice I’m having the thought that …
Sing thoughts, e.g. to Happy Birthday
Hear thoughts in silly voices
Put thoughts on a computer screen and play with font, color, case, format; or animate them; or add a karaoke ball

14. Defusion techniques Notice what your mind is telling you
How old is this story?
What happens when you get caught up in it?
Does it help you to hold this story tightly?
Does it help you to let this story run your life/ bully you around/ dictate what you do?

15. Defusion techniques
Naming the story – if we put every thought, feeling memory linked to this issue into a book or movie, what would you call it?
Repetition
Pop-up thoughts:
Children should be seen and …
Blondes have more …
Every cloud has …

16. 6 Core Processes of ACT The Present Moment Acceptance Values
Be here now
Acceptance
Open up
Values
Know what matters
Psychological Flexibility
Defusion
Watch your thinking
Committed action
Do what works
Self-as-context
Pure awareness

17. The Mindfulness Formula
1. Notice X
2. Let your thoughts come and go
3. Let your feelings be as they are
4. Drift off, come back!

18. 6 Core Processes of ACT Values Psychological Flexibility
The Present Moment
Be here now
Acceptance
Open up
Values
Know what matters
Psychological Flexibility
Defusion
Watch your thinking
Committed action
Do what works
Self-as-context
Pure awareness

19. Values
You are 80 years old looking back on today. Complete these sentences:
I spent too much time worrying about …
I spent too little time doing things such as ….

20. Values A value = a desired quality of ongoing action
Compass metaphor: a value is like a direction you want to move in e.g. West
Committed action is like actually travelling West
Goals are like the bridges or mountains or rivers you aim to cross.
To be loving and supportive = value
Marriage = goal

21. Values Clarification
Routine questions: what would you start/stop if this was no longer an issue?
What gives you a sense of meaning and purpose?
When do you feel most alive?
What really matters, in the big picture?
For suicidal clients: what has stopped you from killing yourself?

22. Values Clarification 80th Birthday Magic wand Role models
Childhood dreams
Values questionnaires
Documentary of you – now and later

23. Values Clarification Tombstone Eulogy Funeral
You know you only have one week to live, but you can’t tell anyone

24. The “I Don’t Know” Monster
What is the function of “I don’t know”?
If genuine lack of understanding: Explain values, and/or provide a list
If automatic response: Defusion
If avoidance: Defusion, Values & Workability. Facilitate willingness, then do experiential exercises

25. 6 Core Processes of ACT Committed action Psychological Flexibility
The Present Moment
Be here now
Acceptance
Open up
Values
Know what matters
Psychological Flexibility
Committed
action
Do what works
Defusion
Watch your thinking
Self-as-context
Pure awareness

26. Committed Action Values to goals: short, medium and long term
What’s the smallest, simplest, easiest step you can take in the next 24 hours?
Live person’s goals
Specific goals
Break goals down into actions
On a scale of 0 – 10, how likely are you to do this? If client scores 5 or less, reassess!

27. Committed Action
Write yourself a personal goal, in line with a core value, that you will do in the next week
As you do this, notice what your mind says
Now commit to doing it: tell your partner what you will do – and as you do it, notice a) how you feel and b) what your mind tells you

28. Barriers to Action F.E.A.R. Fusion Excessive goals
Avoidance of discomfort
Remoteness from values

29. The Antidote to FEAR D.A.R.E. Defusion Acceptance of discomfort
Realistic goals
Embracing values

30. 6 Core Processes of ACT Self-as-context Psychological Flexibility
The Present Moment
Be here now
Acceptance
Open up
Values
Know what matters
Psychological Flexibility
Defusion
Watch your thinking
Committed action
Do what works
Self-as-context
Pure awareness

31. Self-as-context
AKA self-as-perspective, the observing self, the silent self, the silent witness,
My opinion: the best term is “pure awareness”
The “part of you” that is aware of everything else
The “place” from which you observe
The chessboard metaphor

32. Self-as-context
Thinking Self versus Observing Self: playing tennis, watching a sunset
The stage show of life: on that stage is everything you can see, hear, touch, taste and smell, plus all your thoughts and feelings
You can watch any part of the show, or all of it at once
The show changes continually; the part of you that observes the show does not

33. 6 Core Processes of ACT Acceptance Psychological Flexibility
The Present Moment
Be here now
Acceptance
Open up
Values
Know what matters
Psychological Flexibility
Defusion
Watch your thinking
Committed action
Do what works
Self-as-context
Pure awareness

34. Acceptance
Observe it: location, size, outline, depth, temperature, hot spots, cold spots, movement, weight, vibration, pulsation
Breathe into it
Open up/ make room/ create space
Allow it: you don’t have to like it or want it or approve of it; just let it be
Physicalize it: if it was an object, what shape color, texture, temperature, weight, surface would it have?

35. Acceptance
Choice: 1) no pain, but you lose your capacity to love and care or 2) you get to love and to care, but you feel pain when there’s a gap between what you want and what you’ve got. Which do you choose?
Place a hand on the pain
Soften up/ loosen up around the pain
Hold it gently, like a crying baby or a frightened puppy

36. Acceptance
Normalize: this tells you’re alive and you have a heart; this is what humans feel when there’s a gap between what you want and what you’ve got.
Expand awareness: This pain is one actor on the stage – bring up the lights on the rest of the stage show

37. Conceptualization
1. What direction does the client want to take their life in?
2. What’s stopping them?
a) What are they fused with?
b) What are they avoiding?
c) What ineffective actions are they taking?

38. Conceptualization ACTION ACTION Mindless Fused Avoidant Ineffective
Mindful
Valued
Willing
Effective
WORKABILITY

39. A.C.B.S. – Why Join? www.contextualpsychology.org
You can download this presentation from
the Therapists and Coaches page on: