In the acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) model, the process of Present Moment Awareness is located at the top of the hexaflex. This process involves being fully aware of the present moment—paying attention to thoughts, feelings, and the environment without being consumed by past regrets or future anxieties. For Emory, present-moment awareness is a significant challenge. They are often stuck in the past, ruminating on what has already happened, or trapped in future worries, imagining worst-case scenarios. It’s as if Emory’s body is in one place, but their mind is somewhere else entirely.
The Goal: Staying in the Present
The therapeutic goal for Emory is to develop the flexibility to stay in the present moment. This means helping Emory become more aware of their current thoughts and feelings and more attuned to what’s happening around them. By cultivating present-moment awareness, Emory can begin to make more intentional choices rather than being driven by past or future concerns.
Understanding Self-as-Context
Self-as-Content vs. Self-as-Context
At the bottom of the Hexaflex, you’ll find the process of Self-as-Content and its flexible counterpart, Self-as-Context. This concept can be tricky to grasp, so let’s break it down.
Self-as-Content occurs when individuals define themselves based on their thoughts, feelings, or narratives. For example, Emory is fused with the belief that they are a failure, not just someone who failed a test. This rigid fusion with their self-story makes it difficult for Emory to step back and gain perspective on their life. Instead of seeing themselves as a complex person who has experienced a failure, they see themselves as a failure, which reinforces their negative self-image.
Self-as-Context, on the other hand, is about creating a flexible relationship with the self. It involves viewing the self as a container or context in which thoughts and feelings occur, rather than being defined by them. This shift in perspective allows individuals to recognize that they are not their thoughts or feelings; rather, they are the space in which these experiences happen.
Illustrating Self-as-Context: The Kleenex Box Example
To illustrate the concept of self-as-context, Dr. Sheri Turrell often uses a simple analogy involving a Kleenex box. Imagine the box as the self and the tissues inside as thoughts and feelings. If you take tissues out or put some in, the box itself does not change—it remains the same container. Similarly, if you fill the box with different objects like pencils, erasers, or even pour coffee into it, the box remains unchanged as the container. The contents inside can change, but the box itself—the context—remains constant.
In the same way, self-as-context allows individuals to view their thoughts and feelings as things that come and go, without letting these experiences define who they are. This perspective creates distance and disengagement from the content of thoughts and feelings, enabling individuals to see these experiences as just part of the broader context of their life.
The Importance of Defusion
A key aspect of self-as-context is defusion—the process of unhooking from thoughts and feelings, gaining distance, and viewing them as separate from the self. By defusing from their rigid self-concept, Emory can begin to see their thoughts and feelings as transient experiences rather than truths that define them. This process is crucial for developing psychological flexibility, which is the ultimate goal in ACT.