Acceptance and Engagement Therapy (ACT) belongs to the group of therapies called third generation therapies.
The goal of these therapies is to evolve psychological treatment, giving more weight to somewhat forgotten aspects, such as acceptance, mindfulness, cognitive decline, dialectics, values, spirituality and relationships.
- For third-generation therapies.
- The disorder is not found in the person.
- In fact it is the person who is in a problematic situation or situation.
Conflicts, therefore, are not within the person, but in their interaction with the current context, also given their historical context. The two fundamental principles that form the basis of third generation therapeutic interventions, as well as ACT, are:
Acceptance and engagement therapy began to be used in the 1980s and its founder was Steven Hayes, a professor at the University of Nevada.
ACT is defined as a form of experience, behavior and cognition psychotherapy based on the theory of reaction marks. This theory approaches human language and cognition from the concepts of radical behaviorism.
ACT uses a multiplicity of clinical resources to address the issue so that it is finally accepted and activated.
Acceptance and engagement therapy implies a major change from the therapies available above, especially in relation to how we relate to our mental content.
The rejection of a diagnostic classification is also innovative, citing as a single element of analysis and intervention the planning of the behavior and function of the patient in a context, in this sense, it is possible to list a number of important concepts within the ACT:
According to these two main concepts of the ACT, the person would be trapped in a vicious circle in which, because he did not want to suffer (experiential avoidance), he would end up being held hostage by things that did not match his personality. values.
However, however, the person remains in this area for convenience
We must not forget that this solution is superficial and ephemeral, in order to achieve our true goals and to become who we are and really want to be, we must radically accept the discomfort that may appear on this path.
The first step usually taken in acceptance and engagement therapy, since it is not structured therapy, is to perform a functional analysis of the specific patient being treated.
This analysis provides an understanding of the individual’s values and the level of commitment to them, from there we can define the therapeutic objectives, among the clinical resources proposed by ACT, we can find the following:
Creative desperation tells us that when someone’s attempts to solve their problems (rumination, alcohol consumption, control, etc. ) do not work, other alternatives should be considered.
To challenge these failed attempts, we can use the metaphor of quicksand, the more you try to escape the quicksand, the deeper you end up sinking into it, the more sensible thing to do would be to relax your body and come into contact with the sand. .
Acceptance and engagement therapy has been shown to be effective in many case studies and can be practiced individually and in groups.
One of its advantages is that its results were especially positive at the start of therapy, preventing the problem from chronicating.
The only drawback is the great difficulty of accepting negative thoughts and emotions, especially in a system that promotes happiness and satisfaction at all times.
It is something that is present in our context, whether in the form of advertising, music, film or interpersonal relationships. Who has never been depressed and heard the following phrase as a tip: “Cheer up!We only live once!?
This culture of well-being makes it very difficult not to escape negative states, the key is coherence in the therapy and practice of all the clinical resources exposed, in this way we gradually create the habit of radical acceptance.
Understanding that emotions, good or bad, are valid, necessary and part of life is fundamental.