Steven Hayes – ACT in Action 2 • Control and Acceptance
Working with a client who struggles with intense social anxiety, ACT founder Stephen Hayes, PhD, demonstrates the principle of accepting what we cannot control. Though his client believes eliminating his anxiety is that path to freedom, Hayes helps him understand that he may never eliminate his anxiety, because he cannot control his inner world. Instead, he can choose to accept it without struggle and live in accordance with his highest personal values.
However, there’s also a risk of falling too quickly into what Hayes calls “pseudo-acceptance,” which is what we see in the next session with a teacher struggling with panic disorder. With Hayes insightful commentary, you’ll learn to identify the signs and manage this pitfall with your own clients.
Then in a poignant session with a mother suffering from depression, Hayes introduces us to the classic principle of cognitive defusion, which he employs to help his client detach from her thoughts and engage more deeply in therapy.
