1. Self-As-Context Made Simple Russ Harris, MD ACT World Conference, July 2009

2. Workshop Aims Understand the concept of self-as-context
Have the experience of self-as-context
Learn how to facilitate that experience
First a quick refresher course …

3. The Aim Of ACT Cultivate Psychological Flexibility: Be Present Open Up
Do What Works

4. The Essence Of ACT
ACT= LOVE
Letting go
Opening up
Valuing
Engaging

5. ACT In A Nutshell The Present Moment Be Here Now Acceptance Values
Open Up
Values
Know What Matters
Psychological
Flexibility
Be present, Open up
Do what matters
Defusion
Watch Your Thinking
Committed Action
Do What It Takes
Self-as-context
Pure Awareness

6. Psychological Flexibility
Be Present
Contact With the Present Moment
Self-as-Context
Psychological Flexibility
Defusion
Committed Action
Values
Do What Matters
Open Up
Acceptance

7. 3 Senses of Self Self-as-content (the conceptualized self)
Self-as-awareness (noticing/observing)
Self-as-context (the perspective/locus/space from where observing happens; the ‘you’ that observes)
Just to confuse you …
Self-as-context is AKA the observing self, the silent self, self-as-perspective, pure awareness, pure consciousness

8. Technically Speaking
In clinical work, the distinction made between Self-as-awareness and Self-as-context is often ‘fuzzy’.
There are examples of this ‘fuzziness’ in almost every single book on ACT, including mine . For pragmatic purposes, this is not an issue.
Where the distinction becomes most important is if you want to facilitate a ‘deeper’ experience of this space

9. Conceptualized self
(self-as-content)
All the beliefs, thoughts, ideas, facts, images, judgments, memories etc about ‘who I am’

10. Conceptualized self
(self-as-content)
Noticing / Observing
(self-as-awareness)
All the beliefs, thoughts, ideas, facts, images, judgments, memories etc about ‘who I am’

11. Observing Self
(self-as-context)
Conceptualized self
(self-as-content)
Noticing / Observing
(self-as-awareness)
All the beliefs, thoughts, ideas, facts, images, judgments, memories etc about ‘who I am’

12. Fusion Conceptualized Self (self-as-content)
Observing Self
(self-as-context)
Conceptualized Self
(self-as-content)
All the beliefs, thoughts, ideas, facts images, judgments, memories etc about ‘who I am’
Conceptualized self
(self-as-content)
Noticing / Observing
(self-as-awareness)
All the beliefs, thoughts, ideas, images, judgments, memories etc about ‘who I am’
Fusion

13. Defusion Observing Self (self-as-context) Conceptualized self
(self-as-content)
All the beliefs, thoughts, ideas, facts, images, judgments, memories etc about ‘who I am’
Noticing / Observing
(self-as-awareness)
Defusion

14. All the beliefs, thoughts, ideas, facts, images, judgments, memories etc about ‘who I am’

15. All the beliefs, thoughts, ideas, images, facts, judgments, memories etc about ‘who I am’

16. Self-as-context
Self-as-awareness
Self-as-content

17. A Different Three Senses of Self
Physical self (body)
Thinking self (mind)
Observing self (the part of you that notices whatever your body or mind is doing)

18. Three Senses of Self
Thinking Self
Thinks, judges, visualizes, remembers, imagines, feels, senses, fantasizes, analyzes, etc.

19. Three Senses of Self
Physical Self
Thinking Self
Sees, hears, smells, tastes, touches, senses, moves, takes action, etc.
Thinks, judges, visualizes, remembers, imagines, feels, fantasizes, analyzes, etc.

20. Three Senses of Self
Observing Self
Physical Self
Thinking Self
Sees, hears, smells, tastes, touches, senses, takes action
Thinks, judges, visualizes, remembers, imagines, feels, fantasizes, analyzes, etc.

21. Three Senses of Self
Observing Self
Physical Self
Thinking Self

22. Three Senses of Self
Observing Self
Physical Self
Thinking Self
Values
Values = your heart’s deepest desires for how you want to be and what you want to do with your short time on this planet ...

23. Three Senses of Self
Observing Self
Physical Self
Thinking Self
Struggle
Values
Struggle = cognitive fusion & experiential avoidance = whatever your mind does that sets you up to struggle: with your own thoughts and feelings .. your body … other people … the world around you … your life itself...

24. VITALITY
Three Senses of Self
Observing Self
Physical Self
Effective
Action
Thinking Self
Values

25. VITALITY
Three Senses of Self
Observing Self
Physical Self
Effective
Action
Thinking Self
Struggle
Values
Ineffective
Action
SUFFERING

26. An Experience Beyond Words
A container
A space
A perspective

27. Common Adjectives Spacious Expansive Silent Invisible Formless
Groundless
Without borders
Ever present
Unchanging
Clear
Pure

28. Useful Metaphors Lantern in the dark Chessboard House & Furniture
Watching a stage show
The Documentary of you
Sky & weather
Hands as thoughts

29. Why Is This ‘Space’ So Important?
If we want people to stop running from their pain, let’s help them experience that there is a ‘place inside’ where no matter how great the pain is, it cannot harm them
It is a place from which we can observe our experience, without being caught up in it. In this space, thoughts and feelings do not control actions. This facilitates conscious choice.

30. Why Is This ‘Space’ So Important?
Once established, can utilize for rapid defusion and acceptance:
“Let’s look at this thought from your observing self.”
“Take a step back, and look at this feeling from your observing self.”

31. How To Introduce Self-as-context
Can bring it into any session – even the first, even during informed consent.
There are two parts to your mind:
Thinking self versus Observing self
Watching a sunset
Playing tennis

32. How To Introduce Self-as-context
More traditionally, made explicit after several sessions on defusion/acceptance/ present moment
‘So you’ve been doing all these mindfulness exercises – noticing thoughts, noticing feelings, noticing your breath etc. What is this part of you that does all the noticing? We don’t have a name for it in everyday language. So how about we do an exercise now, to learn more about this aspect of you?’

33. The Documentary of You Metaphor: mind as documentary maker
Now turn to your partner and for 1 minute tell them about yourself…
And notice what you don’t tell them!
Now let’s watch the documentary.
To begin with, close your eyes, and run that self-description through your mind.

34. Brief Observing Self Exercise 1
Close your eyes. Notice: where are your thoughts? Above you, behind you, in front of you, to one side? Inside your head or body?
Are they pictures, words or sounds? Moving or still? What speed & what direction?
There are your thoughts – and there ‘you’ are, observing your thoughts.
Your thoughts keep changing. The ‘you’ that observes them does not change.
This gets your mind whirring/ debating/ analyzing – so let’s do that again. Notice: where are your thoughts? (Repeat as needs)

35. Brief Observing Self Exercise 2
Notice how you’re sitting (5 secs)
Notice what you can see (5 secs)
Notice what you can smell and taste (5 secs)
Notice what you can hear (5 secs)
Notice what you’re thinking (5 secs)
Notice what you’re feeling (5 secs)
Notice what you’re doing (5 secs)
There’s a part of you in there notices everything you see, hear, touch, taste, smell, think, feel, or do … is it good, bad, or ‘just there’?

36. Brief Observing Self Exercise 3
Notice how you’re sitting (5 secs) And as you do, be aware that you’re noticing (10 secs)
Notice what you can see … And as you do etc.
Notice what your mind is saying .. And as etc.
Notice what you can smell and taste ...And etc.
Notice what you can hear …. And as etc.
Notice what you’re thinking …. And as etc.
Notice what you’re feeling …. And as etc.
Notice what you’re doing …. And as etc.
Notice what thoughts you’re having …And etc.

37. Not This, Not That Exercise
Observe X
There is X; there you are observing X
If you can observe X, you cannot be X
X continually changes; the ‘you’ that observes X does not change
X = Breath/thoughts/body/feelings/roles
To emphasize the ‘continuous’ nature of you can add in memories: The ‘you’ that observes was there at the time.

38. Who Are You? Q: Who are you? R: I am …
Q: Thank you. (pause). Who are you?
To finish off, R says: ‘I just am’

39. Let Yourself Go
Bring to mind an image and some words that represent your:
a) Professional self; b) Suffering self; c) Strong self
Observe this image and these words
If you can observe this image and these words, you cannot be this image and these words
Knowing this, let it go …for now
When it comes back, hold it lightly

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