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Mindfulness for Two: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Approach to Mindfulness in Psychotherapy
You can spend years in graduate school, internship, and clinical practice. You can learn to skillfully conceptualize cases and structure interventions for your clients. You can have every skill and advantage as a therapist, but if you want to make the most of every session, both you and your client need to show up in the therapy room. Really show up. And this kind of mindful presence can be a lot harder than it sounds.
Mindfulness for Two is a practical and theoretical guide to the role mindfulness plays in psychotherapy, specifically acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). In the book, author Kelly Wilson carefully defines mindfulness from an ACT perspective and explores its relationship to the six ACT processes and to the therapeutic relationship itself. With unprecedented clarity, he explains the principles that anchor the ACT model to basic behavioral science. The latter half of the book is a practical guide to observing and fostering mindfulness in your clients and in yourself-good advice you can put to use in your practice right away. Wilson, coauthor of the seminal Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, guides you through this sometimes-challenging material with the clarity, humor, and warmth for which he is known around the world. More than any other resource available, Mindfulness for Two gets at the heart of Wilson's unique brand of experiential ACT training.
The book includes a DVD-ROM with more than six hours of sample therapy sessions with a variety of therapists on QuickTime video, DRM-free audio tracks of Wilson leading guided mindfulness exercises, and more. To find out more, please visit www.mindfulnessfortwo.com.
Mindfulness for Two is a practical and theoretical guide to the role mindfulness plays in psychotherapy, specifically acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). In the book, author Kelly Wilson carefully defines mindfulness from an ACT perspective and explores its relationship to the six ACT processes and to the therapeutic relationship itself. With unprecedented clarity, he explains the principles that anchor the ACT model to basic behavioral science. The latter half of the book is a practical guide to observing and fostering mindfulness in your clients and in yourself-good advice you can put to use in your practice right away. Wilson, coauthor of the seminal Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, guides you through this sometimes-challenging material with the clarity, humor, and warmth for which he is known around the world. More than any other resource available, Mindfulness for Two gets at the heart of Wilson's unique brand of experiential ACT training.
The book includes a DVD-ROM with more than six hours of sample therapy sessions with a variety of therapists on QuickTime video, DRM-free audio tracks of Wilson leading guided mindfulness exercises, and more. To find out more, please visit www.mindfulnessfortwo.com.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 26, 2021
A great re-introduction to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy principles. I will not go over all the principles discussed in this book, however the concepts of accepting your feelings and thoughts as they are, slowing down and staying with the present moment, and cognitively defusing from your feelings and thoughts all resonated with me a lot as a clinician and as a person outside of my clinical role. While I’m not sure if someone who’s already read ACT books (like this one that I read awhile ago) will get anything new from the book about ACT specifically, I feel like it’s nice to get a refresher, especially given the pretty straightforward writing style here. Wilson does a nice job of then discussing how ACT principles apply to the therapy relationship and how they can help us stay with our clients more without getting caught up in our feelings or thoughts that take us out of the relationship or away from where are clients are actually at.
I do wish Kelly Wilson had acknowledged how mindfulness stems from Buddhism and Eastern philosophy. I feel like so often white people and white practitioners take credit for mindfulness or do not acknowledge its roots, which feels like cultural appropriation or at least not giving acknowledgement where acknowledgement is due.
I do wish Kelly Wilson had acknowledged how mindfulness stems from Buddhism and Eastern philosophy. I feel like so often white people and white practitioners take credit for mindfulness or do not acknowledge its roots, which feels like cultural appropriation or at least not giving acknowledgement where acknowledgement is due.
July 26, 2020
I appreciate the effort the authors put into this book. Even though the language used was unnecessarily complex and boring (even for me as someone used to reading scholarly texts), I am happy that I am now a little bit more knowledgeable about ACT and psychological flexibility.
January 18, 2023
my bible lol
February 1, 2021
A masterpiece!
October 18, 2023
I finally finished a therapy book! Some useful ways to slow down in the therapy room.
June 24, 2012
Beautifully written. The tenor of this book matches with the real life experience of training with Kelly. His personality shines through this book. It is filled with resources, insights, helpful tools and tips.
January 9, 2018
This is a beautiful and informative book. I love Kelly Wilson's approach and have a deep respect for the quality and depth of his work.
May 26, 2021
A very good book focusing on mindfulness in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
I'm just taking a moment to reflect on the topics covered in this book and I realize that there really is a lot in there. As the title says, it covers mindfulness. I especially like how Wilson took a chapter to highlight the role of mindfulniss in the other ACT core processes. I also liked the chapters on clients and therapists on how to notice loss of contact with the present moment and avoidant behavior.
The book also includes a brief summary/introduction into behavior analysis. I'm familiar with behavior analysis, but this offered me a new perspective.
Finally, the book contains a chapter on case conceptualization and offers a scale for each of the six core processes.
This book requires at least basic knowledge about the ACT model. I think every ACT practitioner can gain something from reading this book. As always with such books: you'll benefit more the more time you invest to actually apply the material!
Bonus: The book also includes videos of real plays, allowing the reader to practice their skills in case conceptualization.
I'm just taking a moment to reflect on the topics covered in this book and I realize that there really is a lot in there. As the title says, it covers mindfulness. I especially like how Wilson took a chapter to highlight the role of mindfulniss in the other ACT core processes. I also liked the chapters on clients and therapists on how to notice loss of contact with the present moment and avoidant behavior.
The book also includes a brief summary/introduction into behavior analysis. I'm familiar with behavior analysis, but this offered me a new perspective.
Finally, the book contains a chapter on case conceptualization and offers a scale for each of the six core processes.
This book requires at least basic knowledge about the ACT model. I think every ACT practitioner can gain something from reading this book. As always with such books: you'll benefit more the more time you invest to actually apply the material!
Bonus: The book also includes videos of real plays, allowing the reader to practice their skills in case conceptualization.
August 19, 2025
Despite completely agreeing with the point of thesis of this book I find myself a little disappointed. I started this book with the impression that it would help with the process dimension of therapy from the ACT perspective. While there was a chapter or 2 that addressed this, it was all on background information rather than applied strategies to use when you encounter those things in session. Also, this book comes with video content but unfortunately it is on a CD IN 2025 rather than being a link or downloadable from a website. Overall I was led to believe this was an advanced book but seemed rather basic.
July 14, 2012
Eloquently spoken. I can relate to drifting in and out of the direct experience and letting the mind take over. Can't wait to experience more!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews