Synopses & Reviews
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
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
Synopsis
Valuing is a key component of the acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) six-process model. During this process, therapists help clients identify and decide on their values and commit to acting according to those values. The Art and Science of Valuing in Psychotherapy is the therapists' guide to conducting this delicate and important work without imposing their own beliefs on the client, defining values in overly narrow or overly nebulous ways, or confusing values with judgments, likes and dislikes, morals, or cultural norms. Readers also receive guidance for teaching their clients to apply these values to their lives in practical and concrete ways to increase clients' self-esteem and life satisfaction. The second half of this book offers practical tools therapists can use for values treatment intervention, including metaphors, defusion exercises, guided imagery exercises, scripts for role play, worksheets, assessments, and more. The final chapter of the book demonstrates how the values context can be used in conceptualization and interventions in the workplace, in organizations, and on the community level. Although this book is based on ACT, it can be used by anyone working in psychotherapy or counseling. The authors discuss cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and relational frame theory (RFT) in addition to the ACT model.
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
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.
About the Author
JoAnne Dahl, PhD, is professor of psychology at Uppsala University, Sweden. She is coauthor of
Living Beyond Your Pain, The Art and Science of Valuing in Psychotherapy, and
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Chronic Pain. Dahl hosts a weekly radio program on ACT, and specializes in creating ACT applications for chronic illness, as well as those suffering in the developing countries.
Ian Stewart, PhD, is a faculty member in the school of psychology at the National University of Ireland, Galway, and coauthor of The Art and Science of Valuing in Psychotherapy.
Christopher Martell, PhD, is clinical associate professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a clinical research consultant. He is coauthor of Overcoming Depression One Step at a Time.
Jonathan S. Kaplan, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, adjunct professor, and author of Urban Mindfulness: Cultivating Peace, Purpose, and Presence in the Middle of It All. He has been incorporating mindfulness and meditation into psychotherapy for the past fifteen years. His work has been featured in O, The Oprah Magazine, as well as on the BBC News, MSNBC, and on radio and TV stations across the United States. He maintains a private practice in New York City.
Foreword writer Robyn D. Walser, PhD, is the assistant director at the National Center for PTSD at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System. She also works as a consultant, workshop presenter, and therapist in her private business, TLConsultation Services. She has facilitated ACT training workshops across the world since 1998.
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