The ACT Therapist and Trauma
Booz Allen
Department of Veterans Affairs
Yale University
University of Nevada, Reno
Key Points
- The stance of the ACT therapist is open, accepting, and nonjudgmental.
- The therapist is in the same boat as the client.
- ACT therapists focusing on trauma need to take good care of themselves.
Materials Downloads
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Transcript
So, within the ACT model, the development of a consistent and collaborative therapeutic relationship is really considered to be of central importance because it’s this relationship that provides the context for the work that gets done in therapy. And although a strong therapeutic relationship is considered to be fundamental from an ACT perspective, it’s not seen as being sufficient to effect the necessary clinical change for the majority of presenting problems. So, we still work on all of the skills and components of ACT within the therapeutic relationship. But the relationship is seen as the context within which those ACT interventions occur.\n\n
Batten, S. V. (2011). Essentials of acceptance and commitment therapy. SAGE Publications Ltd.
In order to conduct ACT competently, sensitively, the therapist really has to strive to create an environment in which the therapist and the client are seen as being equals, that you and your client are on the same level rather than having the therapist be in an expert or one-up position. \n\nAnd ACT therapists are encouraged to always stay present with the awareness that they are themselves in the same boat as their clients. We’re all humans. We all experience problems related to avoidance, cognitive fusion, a lack of follow through with committed actions. That’s part of the human experience. We’re all on the same boat. \n\n
Batten, S. V. (2011). Essentials of acceptance and commitment therapy. SAGE Publications Ltd.