Learning Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

The traditional practice of psychiatry has been focused on
reducing or eliminating distressing, unwanted symptoms. But what if the key
to health and well-being is not to be symptom free, but rather to function
effectively in life even when symptoms are present? What if symptoms serve
an adaptive and motivational function, rather than being signals of a latent
illness? What if the key to personal health is the ability to accept
symptoms for what they are and to do what matters in life at the same time?
This is the underlying proposition of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
(ACT), and this book-a collaboration among six clinicians from diverse
practice backgrounds-is the first to systematically describe the principles
and practices of ACT as they apply to psychiatric assessment, case analysis,
and treatment.

The guide begins with an in-depth analysis of the ACT
model, from its scientific origins in the study of the functions of human
language to a fully elaborated model for clinical assessment and
intervention and outlines the clinical benefits of ACT in everyday
practice.

The second section of the book shows the reader how to
conduct a streamlined assessment of the patient's life context, how to
detect and intervene with the patient's unworkable emotional and behavioral
avoidance strategies, and how to blend the use of medication treatment and
behavioral interventions in a way that augments the beneficial effects of
both approaches.

Chapter-length examples in the third section discuss
how to deliver ACT in an ambulatory psychiatric setting, in a hospital
consultation-liaison service, and in an inpatient psychiatric context. The
section also includes a chapter examining the all-important issue of
teaching ACT to psychiatric residents as well as affiliated health
professionals working in medical or psychiatric treatment team
contexts.

Learning Acceptance and Commitment Therapy uses a
diverse array of case examples and clinical dialogues to offer readers a
real-life view of the methodology in practice. Each chapter also includes
additional reading resources to pursue should a particular theoretical or
applied clinical concept create a desire to learn more. Additionally,
readers have unlimited access to an online instructional library that
includes video demonstrations of core ACT clinical strategies "in action" as
well as a host of written practice support tools and worksheets.

This
book is a must for clinicians who want to expand their ability to improve
clinical outcomes for the wide range of patients seen in clinical
practice.