Acceptance-Based Interventions for Trauma-Related Conditions

I’d like to thank all of you for coming on this journey of learning about how to use acceptance and commitment therapy with trauma survivors. I hope you’ve found the content useful and that it will allow you to open up and be present with your clients in a new way and use some new powerful tools with them.

Acceptance-based interventions, like ACT, comprise a set of evidence-based approaches that likely represent a strong fit for many people living with the full spectrum of trauma-related health conditions, including posttraumatic stress disorder. It is probable that these interventions may benefit some people who opt not to access first-line treatments or who don’t respond particularly well to traditional cognitive behavioral treatments. ACT may offer unique benefits beyond those of traditional PTSD treatments, like improving broadly applicable mindfulness skills and increasing engagement in valued life domains.

Coe, E., Batten, S. V., & Meyer, E. C. (2020). Acceptance-based behavioral therapy for PTSD. In M. Tull & N. Kimbrel (Eds.), Emotion in posttraumatic stress disorder: Etiology, assessment, neurobiology, and treatment (p. 545–566). Academic Press.

Additional research in this area will address several key questions, including whether ACT adds effectiveness beyond what is provided by existing trauma treatments, whether the effectiveness of acceptance-based interventions may be equivalent to first-line treatments when factors such as client’s choice and treatment completion rate are considered, and the role of mechanisms such as mindfulness, psychological flexibility, and self-compassion in PTSD treatment.  

Coe, E., Batten, S. V., & Meyer, E. C. (2020). Acceptance-based behavioral therapy for PTSD. In M. Tull & N. Kimbrel (Eds.), Emotion in posttraumatic stress disorder: Etiology, assessment, neurobiology, and treatment (p. 545–566). Academic Press.