Synopses & Reviews
The groundswell of interest in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is among the most remarkable developments in contemporary psychotherapy. Whether you are new to the profession or an experienced clinician with an established career, seeking to incorporate ACT work into your practice, this book is an essential resource. ACT is both a unique approach and somewhat counterintuitive in its methods. Learning to “do ACT” well requires practice, patience, and good information. This book is a major contribution to ACT professional literature: a comprehensive, activity-based workbook that will help you understand and take advantage of ACT’s unique six process model, both as a tool for diagnosis and case conceptualization and as a basis for structuring treatments for clients.
Learning ACT begins with an overview of the ACT model, outlining its theoretical and philosophical underpinnings. Next you will learn how to understand and make use of the six core ACT processes. In later chapters, you'll be introduced to the ACT approach to establishing an effective and powerful therapeutic relationship and learn to conceptualize cases from an ACT perspective. Throughout these chapters are numerous exercises to help you apply what you are learning in order to process the material at a deeper level.
Unique to this volume is a DVD that includes role-played examples of the core ACT processes in action. Use this helpful addition to bring to life the concepts developed in the text. An invaluable aid to serious ACT study, the DVD can be reviewed often as you gain facility with the model.
Review
This is a fascinating account of love from the perspective of modern behavioral analysis. This book will get you thinking about yourself, your partner, and love in ways that you probably haven't thought of before. It brings scientific illumination to the candle lights of intimacy.”
Andrew Christensen, PhD, is professor of psychology at UCLA, a cofounder of integrative behavioral couple therapy, and author of Reconcilable Differences
Review
“If you are looking for a hands-on approach to acceptance and commitment therapy, this book is must! Very well organized and written in clear, concise terms, Luoma and colleagues spell out the essentials of doing ACT, with annotated narrative in session transcripts demonstrating key points. You will leave this book with not only a set of clinical skills, but also with the knowledge of when and how to apply them in therapy.$rdquo;
—Kirk Strosahl Ph.D., coauthor of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: An Experiential Approach to Behavior Change and A Practical Guide to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Review
“Learning ACT is by far the best practical skill-building work book produced so far in the ACT literature. Teaching psychotherapy skills is complicated, and this book serves as a model for how it can be done. This book breaks down the ACT core process into bite-size portions making these skills visible, understandable and doable. The book is organized around core competencies but uses an ingenious system of therapist-client dialogue where the reader is encouraged to interact and respond applying each core skill. Besides all the cutting edge skill training abundant in this book, you cannot miss the compassionate vital spirit that these extraordinary ACT therapists bring into the therapy room. This book will surely be a classic for teaching psychotherapy!”
—JoAnne Dahl, Ph.D, associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Uppsala University in Uppsala, Sweden
Review
"There is no better place to start learning about RFT than this excellent book. Törneke teaches the principles of RFT simply and elegantly, using a wealth of clinical examples to make it accessible and stimulating. I wish a book like this had existed when I first learned about RFT; it would have saved me many hours of hard work, frustration, and confusion."
—Russ Harris, author of The Happiness Trap and ACT Made Simple
Review
"Since RFT first appeared in the experimental literature, it has been hailed as a breakthrough in our scientific understanding of language and cognition with direct and important implications for clinical psychological practice. Yet, descriptions of RFT, written largely for technical audiences, have been, at best, curiously baffling, and at worst, maddeningly incomprehensible. In this book, Törneke has solved the puzzle of RFT! He summarizes the history of RFT, its key features, and its clinical implications with language that is user-friendly and easily understandable. I believe this book will make a huge difference for clinicians who wish to understand RFT and its implications for clinical practice. It also may be a useful learning tool for researchers and RFT experts themselves who wish to learn and see a beautiful example of how RFT can be presented clearly and comprehensively."
—Jonathan Kanter, associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and director of its Depression Treatment Specialty Clinic
Review
"For years, clinicians have asked me for recommendations about what they should read to learn RFT. There was really no good advice I could give except ‘be persistent.’ Finally, I have a better answer. If you want to understand relational frame theory, this is the place to start. Törneke’s RFT primer is both masterful and accessible."
—Kelly G. Wilson, PhD, associate professor of psychology at the University of Mississippi, coauthor of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and author of Mindfulness for Two
Review
"At times, while reading Törneke’s book, I have felt as though I were in the middle of a thriller about the psychopathological behaviors of humans. Clues to unraveling the mystery embedded in complex concepts like ‘arbitrarily applicable relational responding’ have alerted me, as the reader, to what is coming up next. Our ability for relational framing and for rule-governed behavior may at first glance seem fabulous—a gift from the gods—but darkness lurks around the corner. Our ability to problem-solve is the villain. This book helps me make sense of it all."
—Maria Midbøe, M.Sc., candidate in psychology at Stockholm University in Stockholm, Sweden
Review
"Until now, explanations of relational frame theory have remained largely esoteric and even impenetrable to all but the most specialized scholars. For the first time, this extraordinary book provides a highly accessible account of relational frame theory, including its larger context within psychology, the current research in the field, and its many potential applications. Törneke strikes a fine balance between doing justice to relational frame theory and making the theory, research, and its implications readily comprehensible to the non-expert. This unique book is a must-read for scholars of human cognition, as well as clinicians, educators, others seeking to harness the power of basic psychological principles in their applied work, and anyone interested in the renaissance of modern behavior analysis."
—James D. Herbert, PhD, professor of psychology at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA, and director of Anxiety Treatment and Research
Review
"On rare occasions, the skills of writer, therapist, and theorist combine to give the field a sophisticated yet highly practical book. This much-awaited translation shows relational frame theory as an accessible, powerful tool for all who use talk therapy. A must-read for those interested in contemporary behaviorism."
—Kelly Koerner, PhD, creative director at Evidence Based Practice Institute in Seattle, WA
Synopsis
Combining elements of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and relational frame theory (RFT), ACT and RFT for Relationships presents a unique approach for therapists to help clients develop and experience deeper, more loving relationships. By exploring personal values and expectations, and by addressing central patterns of behaviors, therapists can help their clients establish and maintain intimacy with their partner and gain a greater understanding of their relationship as a whole.
Synopsis
Even if you are not a couples therapist, chances are you have dealt with clients whose problems are based in relationship issues. In order to successfully treat these clients, you must first help them understand what their values are in these relationships, and how their behavior may be undermining their attempts to seek intimacy and connection.
Combining elements of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and relational frame theory (RFT), ACT and RFT for Relationships presents a unique approach for therapists to help clients develop and experience deeper, more loving relationships. By exploring personal values and expectations, and by addressing central patterns of behaviors, therapists can help their clients establish and maintain intimacy with their partner and gain a greater understanding of their relationship as a whole.
ACT is a powerful treatment model that teaches clients to accept their thoughts, identify their core values, and discover how these values are extended to their relationships with others. RFT focuses on behavioral approaches to language and cognition, and can help clients identify their own expectations regarding relationships and how they might communicate these expectations with their loved ones more effectively.
This book aims to shed light on the thought processes behind intimate relationshipsfrom the attraction phase to the end of intimacyfrom a functional, contextual perspective.
Synopsis
This much-needed workbook and DVD combination offers clinicians interested in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) a solid and straightforward training manual to the powerful and clinically proven techniques of this revolutionary model.
Synopsis
Relational frame theory (RFT) is a theory of language and cognition that upends traditional cognitive paradigms and forms the foundation of today's cutting-edge therapies, including acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Learning RFT makes RFT accessible to clinicians for the first time and explains how RFT principles can be directly applied in clinical work.
Synopsis
Relational frame theory, or RFT, is the little-understood behavioral theory behind a recent development in modern psychology: the shift from the cognitive paradigm underpinning cognitive behavioral therapy to a new understanding of language and cognition. Learning RFT presents a basic yet comprehensive introduction to this fascinating theory, which forms the basis of acceptance and commitment therapy. The book also offers practical guidance for directly applying it in clinical work.
In the book, author Niklas Törneke presents the building blocks of RFT: language as a particular kind of relating, derived stimulus relations, and transformation of stimulus functions. He then shows how these concepts are essential to understanding acceptance and commitment therapy and other therapeutic models. Learning RFT shows how to use experiential exercises and metaphors in psychological treatment and explains how they can help your clients. This book belongs on the bookshelves of psychologists, psychotherapists, students, and others seeking to deepen their understanding of psychological treatment from a behavioral perspective.
Synopsis
A clinical practice guide to helping chronic pain sufferers live richer, more fulfilling lives with pain using acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT).
Synopsis
Professionals who work with patients and clients struggling with chronic pain will benefit from this values-based behavior change program for managing the effects of pain. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Chronic Pain addresses case formulation and clinical techniques for working with pain patients through a combination of practical instruction and a treatment scenario narrative that follows a patient through an ACT-based intervention. An invaluable resource for rehabilitation specialists, psychologists, physicians, nurses, and others.
Synopsis
The Art and Science of Valuing in Psychotherapy shows therapists how to help their clients discover and commit to their core values, a key process in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). The book also presents the theory and research behind valuing in psychotherapy.
Synopsis
Valuing is central to acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), yet few therapists truly understand how to engage clients in this complex process. Questions such as What is the purpose of my life? and How do I make decisions? are difficult to answer honestly for ourselves, let alone share with another person. The Art and Science of Valuing in Psychotherapy is the mental health practitioner's complete guide to helping clients identify their values and apply them to their lives in practical ways. You will also learn to establish your own values as a professional, which may shift from client to client, and act in accordance with these values in therapy.
The book provides you with practical tools for conducting values work, including easy-to-understand metaphors, defusion exercises, guided imagery exercises, scripts for role play, client worksheets, assessment quizzes, and more. Once you've mastered the art and science of valuing, you'll find out just how broad the applications for values work can be for conceptualization and interventions in the workplace, in organizations, and on the community level, and discover how effective values work can be for tapping into your clients' capacity for change.
[The Art and Science of Valuing in Psychotherapy] will illuminate how a focus on values can inform every aspect of psychotherapy, from case conceptualization to the therapeutic relationship. At once accessible and profound
highly recommended.
-Steven C. Hayes, Ph.D., University of Nevada Foundation Professor of Psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno
About the Author
Niklas Törneke, MD, is a psychiatrist and has worked as a senior psychiatrist in the department of general psychiatry in his hometown Kalmar (in the southeast of Sweden) from 1991 until he started private practice 1998. He earned license as a psychotherapist in 1996 and was originally trained as a cognitive therapist. Since 1998 he has worked mainly with acceptance and commitment therapy, both in his own practice and as a teacher and clinical supervisor. His clinical experience ranges from psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia to common anxiety and mood disorders with high prevalence in the general population.Dr. Dermot Barnes-Holmes is foundation Professor of Psychology at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, and served as the Head of Department of Psychology from 1999 to 2008. He studied under Professor Julian Leslie at the University of Ulster before taking up a teaching position at University College, Cork, where he founded the Behaviour Analysis and Cognitive Science Research Unit. After nine years at UCC he was appointed to his current post. Dr. Barnes-Holmes has published over 200 scientific articles, book chapters, and books, and he was recently ranked as the most prolific author in the world in the Experimental Analysis of Human Behavior during the period 1980 to 1999 (Dymond, 2002). He has served on, or is currently serving on, the editorial boards of the following journals: Experimental Analysis of Human Behavior Bulletin; Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior; Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis; The Behavior Analyst; The European Journal of Behavior Analysis; The European Journal of Psychology; The International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy (Associate Editor); and The Psychological Record. Dr. Barnes-Holmes has graduated 25 doctoral research students and has been directly involved in attracting over 1,000,000 euro in competitive research funding. He served on the Health Research Board from 2002-2005 and was elected to the Council of the Psychological Society of Ireland from 2004-2007.Steven C. Hayes, PhD, is Nevada Foundation Professor and director of clinical training at the department of psychology at the University of Nevada. An author of 38 books and over 540 scientific articles, his career has focused on analysis of the nature of human language and cognition, and its application to the understanding and alleviation of human suffering and promotion of human prosperity. Among other associations, Hayes has been president of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy, and the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. His work has received several awards, including the Impact of Science on Application Award from the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy.