Learning RFT: An Introduction to Relational Frame Theory and Its Clinical Application

by Niklas Törneke, Dermot Barnes-Holmes (Foreword)

Relational frame theory, or RFT, is the little-understood behavioral theory behind a recent development in modern the shift from the cognitive paradigm underpinning cognitive behavioral therapy to a new understanding of language and cognition. Learning RFT presents a basic yet comprehensive introduction to this fascinating theory, which forms the basis of acceptance and commitment therapy. The book also offers practical guidance for directly applying it in clinical work. In the book, author Niklas Törneke presents the building blocks of language as a particular kind of relating, derived stimulus relations, and transformation of stimulus functions. He then shows how these concepts are essential to understanding acceptance and commitment therapy and other therapeutic models. Learning RFT shows how to use experiential exercises and metaphors in psychological treatment and explains how they can help your clients. This book belongs on the bookshelves of psychologists, psychotherapists, students, and others seeking to deepen their understanding of psychological treatment from a behavioral perspective.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Morgan Blackledge · Rating 4 out of 5]

not finished yet, but so far............

I avoided reading this book for a long time. I was afraid it would be laborious reading and that it wouldn't be directly clinically applicable. I thought I knew enough RFT to deliver ACT and I figured I'd just focus my energy on reading ACT books.

I decided to read Learning RFT after reading the authors other book The ABC's of Human Behavior. ABC's was so clearly written, fun to read and so clinically useful that I had to dig right in to Learning RFT the day I finished the other.

I'm literally inching my way through Learning RFT, page by sentence, taking extensive notes and popping back and forth between other sources and the text. It's a TOTAL blast. My notes are going to be around 1/2 the length of the book by the time I'm done, I'm in heaven. Soooooo much fun.

It's astounding how nearly everyone took Chomsky's critique of Skinners Verbal Behavior as an imperative to ignore the text altogether. What a setback for psychology. Chomsky's critique was of Skinners theory of language acquisition. It's absolutely valid and it paved the way for evolutionary psychology and cognitive science to be integrated into clinical theoretical psychology.

But Chomsky opened the gates to the barbarians i.e. all of the humanistic folks who wanted Skinners head on a stick. The world of 1960's academia was eager to oust Skinner and his ilk after their 20 year regain of terror type control of American psychology.

The shame of it all is that Skinner had something profound in his theory of verbal behavior that got completely flushed with the bathwater. Heays and colleagues did something incredibly ballsy by exhuming the defiled remains of Verbal Behavior and they unearthed a real treasure when they did.

RFT is so marginal in psychology, almost no one outside of the Functional Contextual crowd even knows it exists. But it's crazy deep. It's the best kept secret in the field.

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to RFT. I was hoping for a bit more behavior analytic clinical practice here, but it has made me think about applications in our field from an interdisciplinary standpoint.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly a very difficult read. I feel disadvantaged not having read any Törneke's previous book, but this was nevertheless a helpful lens into the hidden workings of ACT. I have come to appreciate language much more after reading this, and think that I am beginning to grasp the wide range of practical applications of RFT that are proposed in this book. I will no doubt come back to read it again after having read Törneke's ABCs of Human Behaviour.

[Kayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a bit embarrassed at how long it took me to read this book, but I also cannot deny that it was brilliant.

It's quite dense, but as a self-proclaimed ACT nerd, it was a great read. I gained a lot of insight into processes that really helped improve my practice with clients. It also provided a clear pathway to understanding self-as-context, which I find to be the trickiest of the ACT concepts.

I definitely think you need to read Torneke's ABC of Human Behavior first, and maybe have even taken an ACT course or two.

[David Teachout · Rating 5 out of 5]

a must-read for practitioners of ACT

For one, this offers one of the best overviews of behaviorism that I’ve ever read, and certainly better than exists in most school textbooks. Further, the articulation of RFT as a language-model, supporting Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) shows just how much indebtedness ACT has to behaviorism, a fact that many these days seek to ignore. In the end, this is a must-read for anyone interested in mental health, professionally or personally, who wants a solid, non-dualist means of understanding the role language has in our lives and working through the difficulties that a fusion with it brings.

[Anton Pokaliukhin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Перша книга з RFT, перша, що стосується біхевіоризму та функціонального аналізу взагалі для мене. 10 місяців на прочитання. Зрозумів, мабуть, відсотків 60. Підозрюю, що переклад теж трохи ускладнив сприйняття. Але в цілому було корисно для кращого розуміння основ, на яких будується АСТ. Мабуть, для кращого розуміння буде корисно почитати іншу книгу Торнеке, яку радять в коментарях (The ABCs of Human Behavior) і тоді повернутись до цієї ще раз, але не впевнений, що в найближче десятиліття знайду ресурсів на повторне читання) В цілому, АСТ точно можна робити не читаючи цю книгу, а читати її більше для розширення філософсько-наукового підгрунтя або просто з цікавості.

[Luiz Fabricio Calland Cerqueira · Rating 3 out of 5]

RFT can be a confusing theory and the author doesn’t make it much easier.

It may be because I don’t have a behavior analysis training (it certainly didn’t make easier) but more often than not, I felt examples and explanations were unnecessarily convoluted.

Sometimes after I actually understood what the author explained, I thought a couple examples of how it could be said in the simpler way.

I think my grasp of RFT is better now than it was before reading this book, but I feel the job was harder than it should have been.

[Máximo Atunga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second book I read written by Törneke, both of them very clear and accesible, great work by the author. If you are interested in ACT or functional contextualism it's a great book to have a grasp about a somewhat complex theory. The first chapters of the book explore the basic concepts about RFT and in the last part of the book you will find clinical examples on how to apply RFT to your clinical practice with technical details.

[Gabriel Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Não só é uma descrição teórica e prática da Teoria das Molduras Relacionais e suas aplicações clínicas, como também uma bela revisão sobre os conceitos básicos do Behaviorismo metodológico e radical.
Recomendo para educadores e psicólogos, independente da abordagem teórica. Espero um dia ver essa obra traduzida para o português.

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books on Relational Frame Theory! If you are a skeptic behaviour analyst, you should read this book. You will feel at home.
This book hasn't just been an eye opener for my professional/research work but personal as well.
I am looking forward to reading Torneke's 'Metaphor in Practice'.

[Nicholas Hatcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent introductory text on relational frame theory. As a practitioner of ACT, I found this description of the underlying theoretical model to be helpful in framing ACT interventions and providing a framework for intervention development. Reading this tied together some of the nuances of ACT and built upon my overall understanding of behaviorism.

[Arie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Extremely dense and didactic. I would love more headings so it’s easier to understand. Also more basic English language and more examples of how relational frame theory actually applies in ACT. Two stars just because I love the duality of accepting and moving through opposing feelings. Otherwise I was confused.

[Fishface · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this stultifying even though the premises seem very sound and useful. The author was trying so hard to be scholarly that the "see how smart I am!" got in the way of "here's how you can do this."

[Stephen O'Brien · Rating 3 out of 5]

May need another read

At times the language of this book is difficult and hard to understand. You’d want to be familiar with some of the technicalities of behaviourism at some stage. Not an ideal clinicians book, but perhaps a good starting point for understanding RFT.

[Nathaniel Chua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful!

It's so far one of two books I recommend to anyone who is learning rft. This is by far the most illuminating simple and succinct description of how rft can help any behavioral therapist in their work.

[Conor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent and in-depth introduction to RFT. Slightly overwhelming in places but still very good

[Karem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book

[Lena Pina · Rating 5 out of 5]

groundbreaking a la hora de entender el lenguaje y el pensamiento como conducta la verdad... dispuesta a tener una conversación de 3 horas con quién quiera que le explique TMR

[Rubén]

De lo más interesante que he leído en mucho tiempo!!!
Y además 100% aplicable a la clínica 🤩

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great intro to RFT and it's clinical applications



This is a nice intro to RFT and it's clinical applications. I like the bottom up approach to describing the theory, research methods, principles indicated by this, and finally clinical applications and examples. It does a nice job of not getting too bogged down in any of these elements. It's a nice continuous flow from basic research to clinical applications. The application of these principles to understanding other treatments was "grand" but appropriately so.

[Melvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A basic guide to relational frame theory. A difficult read (at least for me) but worth if for anyone interested in getting a better understanding of cognitive behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy. Worth a second read.

[Rodney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this soon after it was published. I actually learned RFT, a complex theory of human language and cognition. The esoteric and difficult concepts finally became real after reading this book. If you really want to know RFT and how it relates to daily life, get this book.

[Cattalina Kav · Rating 5 out of 5]

good