My approach is a behavior therapy (like CBT) called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT, pronounced as “ACT” ) although I also use techniques and ideas from other therapies based on what the individual needs. In ACT, I will work with you on getting your life going in the direction you want it to be going while also helping you to better handle the obstacles along the way. One of the ways I like to introduce ACT is as follows:
Anxiety, obsessive thoughts, pain, sadness…what have you tried to make these things go away? How have those attempts been working out for you? Since you’re reading this, I’m guessing these attempts maybe aren’t working so well. Or maybe they are making things worse? You feel stuck.
I get it, when there is a problem, we humans have these amazing problem solving machines (our brains) that allow us to come up with all kinds of solutions. It’s only natural that when we have an unpleasant internal experience we apply this same strategy. You feel stuck.
When there is a problem, we humans have these amazing problem solving brains that allow us to come up with solutions. It’s only natural that when we have an unpleasant internal experience we apply this same strategy.
Unfortunately, while this works well for lots of external things, it can often backfire when we apply it to the internal stuff like thoughts and emotions. I know this based on both my work and personal experience.
This is where ACT comes in (and this is one of the big differences from traditional CBT). The approach is radically different in how we deal with these internal experiences. Instead of engaging in a fight with these things, the focus of our work will be on learning to drop the struggle. We will do this by utilizing what I call non engagement coping skills which encompass the components listed below.
Components of ACT
Values
How do you want to show up in your life? What are your ideal characteristics as a human? What is important to you? Clarifying values are a focus in ACT and we will work on assessing these and addressing the gaps between where you are and where you want to be.
Mindfulness
We have all had moments of being in “auto pilot” and get from point A to point B without memory of what happened in between. This also happens when we let emotions take control of the wheel and dictate our actions. We will work on building that self awareness muscle to keep you in control of the wheel.
Acceptance
This word is often misunderstood. Acceptance is the act of acknowledging the facts and dropping the rope in the tug of war between what we want to be true and what the facts actually are. As in the serenity prayer: I will help to teach you to learn to accept the things you cannot change and take the courageous steps of changing what is within your control.
ACT is not just an approach
It’s my philosophy on life! Lots of the suggestions I give to my clients are things I often use or have used in my own personal life. The image on the right is a basic drawing of the ACT Matrix (full credit to my wife for making it for me). It’s an amazing representation of how to adapt the ACT philosophy in your life. See my thoughts section for a post describing what the matrix is and how to use it in your life.
If you are intrigued by any of this and want to take the “leap” into beginning or continuing the journey to improving your life, let’s get started!
Mat Barbosa LMHC 