Some people think ACT is only about interventions, that it’s just a cognitive bag of tricks which doesn’t deal with people’s pasts or feelings. But these are misconceptions. ACT takes histories and emotions very seriously, as can be demonstrated by reviewing aspects of Hannah’s case.
Staying With Pain
As you’ll recall, a key part of Hannah’s history is her experience of being bullied in middle school. It was important to ensure she saw how that history of being alone, unwanted, and told she wasn’t good enough related to her present. ACT therapists sometimes ask clients whether their struggles are old, connected to their history: when they first felt a certain way. Hannah reflected that she’d been afraid she’d be pushed out and not wanted since adolescence.