Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) offers a promising, empirically validated approach to the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other trauma related problems. In this volume, you'll find a complete theoretical and practical guide to making this revolutionary new model work in your practice.
After a quick overview of PTSD, the first part of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Trauma-Related Problems explains the problem of experiential avoidance as it relates to trauma and explores the verbal nature of post-traumatic stress. You'll learn the importance of mindfulness and acceptance in the ACT model, find out how to structure sessions with your clients, and examine the problem of control. The section concludes by introducing you to the idea of creative hopelessness as the starting point for creating a new, workable life after trauma.
The book's second section offers a practical, step-by-step clinical guide to the six core ACT components in chronological order: - Creative hopelessness
- The problem of control
- Willingness and defusion
- Self-as-context
- Valued living
- Committed action
Each chapter explains how to introduce these topics to clients suffering from PTSD, illustrates each with case examples, and offers homework for your clients to use between sessions.
An indispensable resource for mental health professionals, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Trauma-Related Problems offers a practical and accessible yet theoretically complete approach to using the principles of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and acute trauma-related symptoms.
| Acknowledgments |
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v | |
| Introduction |
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1 | (6) |
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1 Acceptance, Mindfulness, and Trauma: The Problem of Experiential Avoidance and the Verbal Nature of Trauma |
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7 | (12) |
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2 Mindfulness and Acceptance |
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19 | (14) |
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33 | (8) |
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4 Creative Hopelessness: Finding the Place Where Something New Can Happen |
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41 | (24) |
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5 Control as the Problem: Experiential Avoidance and Unworkable Solutions |
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65 | (20) |
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85 | (26) |
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111 | (28) |
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139 | (22) |
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161 | (34) |
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10 Therapist and Treatment Considerations |
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195 | (16) |
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11 Clinical Issues and Assessment |
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211 | (20) |
| Conclusion: Opening to Vitality |
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231 | (6) |
| References |
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237 | (12) |
| Index |
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249 | |
Robyn D. Walser (Author) Robyn D. Walser, PhD, is associate director of the National Center for PTSD Dissemination and Training Division, and associate clinical professor in the department of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. As a licensed clinical psychologist, she maintains an international training, consulting, and therapy practice. Walser is developing innovative ways to translate science into practice, and is responsible for the dissemination of state-of-the-art knowledge and treatment interventions. Walser has coauthored three books, including Learning ACT, The Mindful Couple, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Trauma-Related Problems.
Darrah Westrup (Author) Darrah Westrup, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist practicing in Colorado and California with an established reputation for her work as a therapist, program director, trainer, researcher, and consultant to practitioners at various firms and organizations. She is a recognized authority on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and has conducted numerous presentations and trainings at international, national, and local conferences, seminars, and workshops. She currently serves as an expert ACT consultant for the VA-wide evidence-based treatment rollout of ACT for depression, and has coauthored two books on ACT: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Trauma-Related Problems and The Mindful Couple.
Steven C. Hayes (Author) Steven C. Hayes, PhD, is Nevada Foundation Professor and director of clinical training in the department of psychology at the University of Nevada. An author of forty-one books and nearly 600 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 Therapies, 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 Therapies.
