Status Updates From ACT in Steps: A Transdiagno...

"People often say, “I’m depressed,” or “I’m anxious,” or “I’m mad.” It is less common to say one feels that way. But it makes a difference. If one is something then it is really difficult to change that...Therefore, we prefer to say experiencing anxiety, feeling sad, or noticing depressive thoughts...as events that the person observes instead of is defined by."

"Don’t explain the six processes or draw the hexaflex...In ACT, we prefer to help clients pay closer attention to how things are working for them. Our goal is to decrease rule following. If clients can pay closer attention to how things work in their lives, then they can figure out ways of responding that will work better in the long run."

“Thus, watch for the pull to argue when the client says something that is factually wrong. Focus on what effect the thought has on the client...Just listen. There is something accurate in the client’s experience. It is your job to help the client find that and use it to guide their future choices...give them time to contact more experiences and they will see how things work for them."

“This is because by stating the rule, you are undermining their opportunity to contact direct contingencies in their life, to explore and reflect on their own experiences with anxiety, and to learn the consequences of how they react to it.”

"For example, saying “Struggling with anxiety is like struggling with quicksand” is more effective than saying “Struggling with anxiety is like struggling with quicksand—you know, the more you fight against it the larger it will be.”"

"We do everything we can to work with experiences in vivo rather than discuss them. We certainly avoid telling a client how something works. We would rather give them the space to work with it and then help them accurately appreciate what just occurred (i.e., see contingencies as they are, rather than the verbal representation of them). The client’s life will show the client how things work."

"My mood and demeanor stay pretty constant and I am primarily focused on behavior change. If the client presents with low mood or with lots of energy, I still stay pretty constant...This even-keeled approach is one way of communicating acceptance, but re- member, it is the function (impact) you have on the client, not the topography (what it looks like)."