Acceptance And Commitment Therapy (ACT): Principles And Characteristics
The Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) It is a type of therapy that is included in the so-called third generation therapies, which emerged between the 80s and 90s in the United States and are part of the behavioral and cognitive therapeutic models.
While first and second generation therapies focused and (center) on combating automatic or distressing thoughts and replacing them with other supposedly more adaptive ones, third generation therapies emphasize dialogue and functional context and seek acceptance and the non-judgmental attitude as a way to find well-being.
In this article We will see what exactly Acceptance and Commitment Therapy consists of.explaining both its characteristics and its functioning and its objectives as a form of psychological intervention.
Third generation or third wave therapies belong to behavioral therapies. To understand what these therapies are, I will first talk about first and second generation therapies.
First generation therapies (1960s) are therapies that were born with the aim of overcoming the limitations of psychoanalytic therapy, dominant at that time. When talking about first generation therapies we are talking about Watson’s Classical Conditioning and Skinner’s Operant Conditioning. These types of therapies were useful to treat, for example, fears or phobias, and were based on the principles of conditioning and learning.
However, neither the associationist learning model and the characteristic stimulus-response paradigm of Watson, nor even Skinner’s experimental advance were effective in the treatment of certain psychological problems that some people presented. So, Second generation therapies emerged in the 70swhich are mainly Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies (CBT) such as, for example, Rational Emotive Therapy (REBT) by Albert Ellis and Cognitive Therapy by Aaron Beck, which consider thought or cognition as the main cause of behavior human and, therefore, psychological disorders.
However, the second wave of behavioral therapies continued (and continues) to use techniques and procedures from the first generation and, therefore, focus on the modification, elimination, avoidance and, ultimately, the alteration of private events (thoughts). , beliefs, emotions, feelings and even one’s own bodily sensations).
In other words, these forms of therapy revolve around the idea that If the reason for the behavior is the private event, this must be modified in order to change the behavior. This premise is widely accepted today, which currently results in what is socially established as normal and correct behavior or as mental illness. Something that fits perfectly with a medical-psychiatric and even pharmacological model.
What characterizes third generation therapies?
Third generation therapies emerged in the 90sand they differ from the latter because they approach disorders from a contextualist, functional perspective, and their main objective is not to reduce the symptoms that the patient presents, but to educate them and reorient their life in a more holistic way. They are based on the idea that what causes discomfort or anxiety is not events, but how we link emotions to them and how we relate to them. It is not about avoiding what causes us suffering, because this can have a rebound effect (as much research indicates), but rather the ideal situation is to accept our own mental and psychological experience, and thus reduce the intensity of the symptoms.
Sometimes it can be strange to work in this type of therapy, which invites the person to see, thanks to different techniques (experiential exercises, metaphors, paradoxes, etc.), that what is socially or culturally accepted causes an attempt to control over their private events which in itself is problematic. This control is not the solution, but rather it is the cause of the problem.
The importance of functional contextualism
An aspect to highlight about third generation therapies is that are based on a functional and contextual perspective of pathologieswhich is called functional contextualism. That is, the individual’s behavior is analyzed from the context in which it occurs, because if it is decontextualized, then it is not possible to discover its functionality.
On the one hand, it is interesting to know how the person relates to the context according to their history and current circumstances, always taking into account verbal behavior and the clarification of values. Verbal behavior is what the patient says to himself and others, but it is not important for the content but for its function. A patient may say that he feels self-conscious and that he is very embarrassed when he has to speak in public. The important thing is not to know if he feels ashamed or self-conscious, the objective is to know if this way of thinking is doing him good or harming him.
Furthermore, in third generation therapies, observable and private behavior are not distinguished, since the latter is also valued from functionality.
What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?
Without a doubt, one of the best-known third-generation therapies is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which aims to create a rich and meaningful life for the patient, accepting the pain that inevitably comes with it.
ACT is presented as an alternative to traditional psychology and is a psychotherapy model that is scientifically supported and uses different techniques: paradoxes, experimental exercises, metaphors, work with personal values and even mindfulness training. It has its bases in the Relational Frame Theory (RFT)so it is part of the new theory of language and cognition.
Human language can transform us, but also create psychological suffering. That is why it is necessary to work with the meanings of language, its functions and its relationship with private events (emotions, thoughts, memories…). Besides, Self-discovery and clarification of values are essential elements in this type of therapyin which the patient must ask himself and question what kind of person he wants to be, what is truly valuable in his life and from what beliefs and values he acts.
In this sense, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is an example that psychological intervention does not have to focus on mitigating or eliminating symptoms; It is also useful to offer tools so that the patient is able to live with the discomfort and not become obsessed with having control of everything they experience. It is, in turn, a base from which the person is predisposed to not worry so much about blocking their worries and focus more on focusing their attention on other aspects of the present moment.
Commitment to our values
If we look around us, It seems clear that much of our suffering is determined by our beliefs about what is right or wrong.beliefs that are culturally learned and that are based on the values promoted by Western society. While most therapies view suffering as abnormal, ACT understands that suffering is a part of life itself. That is why it is said that ACT questions social ideology and models of healthy normality, in which happiness is understood as the absence of pain, anxiety or worries.
ACT, which in English means “act,” emphasizes taking effective actions guided by our deepest values, in which we are fully present and committed.
Principles of this type of therapy
ACT uses some principles that allow patients to develop the mental flexibility necessary to improve their emotional well-being.
They are these six:
1. Acceptance
Acceptance means recognizing and approving our emotional experienceour thoughts or our feelings. It has to do with treating ourselves with love and compassion despite not being perfect. We should not fight against our private events or run away from them.
In reality, acceptance of the present situation contributes to many of the aspects of our life that we perceive as problems no longer being problems, thus reducing the level of anxiety and the discomfort factors associated with it.
2. Cognitive defusion
It’s about observing our thoughts and cognitions for what they are.pieces of language, words, images, etc. Simply observe and let go without judging them. In this way, a distanced and more rational view of things is adopted.
3. Present experience
The present is the only moment we can live. Being in the here and now with an open mind and full awareness, fully participating with due attention to what is happening in us and around us is the key to our well-being.
4. The “observing I”
It means letting go of the conceptualized selfthat is, of attachment to our own narratives. From the perspective of the self as an observer we see things from a non-judgmental point of view.
5. Clarity of values
ACT requires self-knowledge work that allows us to clarify our values from the depths of our soul.. What is truly valuable to us? Where do we really want to be or go? These are some of the questions that must be answered. Of course, always with honesty.
6. Committed action
The direction we follow must always be determined by our own values and not because of social impositions. We must engage in meaningful actions for ourselves. This way we are much more likely to commit to our projects and make them progress at the pace we want.
