Therapeutic Approaches
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy that focuses on increasing psychological flexibility and helping individuals live in accordance with their personal values. The overall aim of ACT is to increase psychological flexibility – the ability to be present, open to experiences, and take effective action guided by one’s values. This is seen as a pathway to greater well-being and meaningful living. ACT has been shown to be effective in treating a wide range of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, chronic pain, addiction, and more. It emphasizes a compassionate, non-judgmental approach to difficult inner experiences.
Key principles and techniques of ACT
Acceptance
ACT encourages accepting and embracing difficult thoughts, feelings, and sensations rather than trying to avoid or control them.
Cognitive Defusion
ACT teaches techniques to distance oneself from unhelpful thoughts & see them as passing mental events rather than absolute truths.
Contact with the Present Moment
ACT emphasizes being fully present and engaged in the current experience, as opposed to past or future.
Self as Context
ACT helps individuals recognize a transcendent sense of self that is distinct from the changing thoughts, feelings, and experiences one has.
Values
A core part of ACT is identifying and committing to living in alignment with one’s deeply held personal values.
Committed Action
ACT encourages taking concrete steps, even in the face of difficulty, to live according to one’s values.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
The Internal Family Systems (IFS) model is a form of psychotherapy that views the human mind as composed of multiple internal “sub-personalities” or “parts.” The central idea is that each person has an authentic “Self” that can compassionately connect with and harmonize these different parts.
Key principles of IFS
Parts (sub personalities):
The model sees the psyche as made up of various parts, each with its own perspectives, emotions, and behaviors. These parts can include the Inner Critic, Anxious Part, Perfectionist, etc.
Self:
IFS posits an core, authentic “Self” within each person that is not a part, but can witness, accept, and integrate the different parts.
Exiles:
Certain vulnerable parts, often from childhood, can become “exiled” and pushed away, leading to inner conflicts.
Managers and Firefighters:
Parts can take on protective roles, either trying to control a situation (Managers) or providing quick relief from pain (Firefighters).
Compassionate Engagement:
The goal is for the Self to approach each part with curiosity, respect and compassion to bring about balance and healing.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
DBT, or Dialectical Behavior Therapy, is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy that was initially developed to treat borderline personality disorder, but has since been adapted for treating a range of mental health conditions. DBT typically involves a combination of individual therapy, group skills training, telephone coaching, and therapist consultation meetings. The goal is to help individuals develop greater emotional and behavioral regulation to improve their quality of life. DBT is considered an evidence-based treatment that has been shown to be effective for a variety of mental health concerns, particularly those involving emotion dysregulation.
The “dialectical” aspect of DBT refers to the balancing of opposites, such as:
- Acceptance and change
- Being caring and being demanding
- Focusing on strengths and acknowledging weaknesses
Core Principles of DBT
Mindfulness – DBT emphasizes the practice of being fully present and aware in the moment, without judgment.
Distress Tolerance – Techniques are taught to help individuals cope with and accept difficult emotions & situations without making them worse.
Emotion Regulation – DBT focuses on helping people identify, understand, and manage their emotions in healthy ways.
Interpersonal Effectiveness – Skills are developed to improve communication and relationships, and assert one’s needs effectively.
Narrative Therapy
Narrative Therapy is a collaborative approach to counseling and community work that centers people as the experts in their own lives. The main principles of Narrative Therapy include:
The overall goal of Narrative Therapy is to help people see themselves as separate from the problems they face, and to construct new, empowering stories about their lives, identities, and capabilities. This approach emphasizes people’s agency and views them as the experts in their own lives.
Principles of Narrative Therapy
Externalization – The idea that problems are separate from the person, not inherent to them. This allows people to view the problem as something they can address, rather than seeing themselves as the problem.
Unique Outcomes – Narrative Therapy focuses on identifying times when the problem wasn’t present or when the person was able to resist the problem’s influence. These “unique outcomes” are then used to build an alternative, preferred narrative.
Re-authoring – The process of helping people re-author their life stories by highlighting their skills, values, and abilities that were obscured by the problem-saturated narrative.
Deconstruction – Analyzing societal and cultural influences that may be contributing to the problem, and exploring alternative perspectives.
Definitional Ceremony – Rituals or practices that publicly acknowledge a person’s preferred self-description and new life story.