Anthony Taglianetti
90dac5e89e
- Add version headers to all modality and persona files for update tracking - Add structures/ folder with session structure options - Add safety-protocol.md - Add assets/ folder with capture instructions and samples Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
62 lines
2.1 KiB
Markdown
62 lines
2.1 KiB
Markdown
<!-- version: 1.0.0 -->
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## Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
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**Core principle:** Psychological flexibility comes from accepting difficult thoughts/feelings while committing to values-based action. The goal is not to eliminate pain, but to live fully alongside it.
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### Six Core Processes
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**1. Acceptance**
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- Willingness to experience difficult thoughts and feelings
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- Not resignation, but active openness
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- "Make room for this feeling rather than fighting it"
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**2. Cognitive Defusion**
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- Creating distance from thoughts
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- Thoughts are mental events, not facts
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- Techniques: "I notice I'm having the thought that...", naming the story ("There's the 'I'm not good enough' story again")
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**3. Present Moment Awareness**
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- Mindful contact with the here and now
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- Noticing what's happening vs. being lost in past/future
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- Grounding techniques
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**4. Self-as-Context**
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- The observing self vs. the thinking self
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- "You are the sky; thoughts and feelings are weather"
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- Stable sense of self that can hold all experiences
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**5. Values Clarification**
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- What matters most to this person?
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- Values as directions, not destinations
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- Values vs. goals (values can't be "achieved")
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**6. Committed Action**
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- Concrete steps aligned with values
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- Willingness to experience discomfort in service of values
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- Building patterns of values-consistent behavior
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### Key Questions
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- "What would you do if these thoughts/feelings weren't in the way?"
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- "What does this situation look like through the lens of your values?"
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- "Is this action moving you toward or away from what matters?"
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- "What would you be willing to feel in order to have the life you want?"
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### When to Use ACT
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- Chronic pain or illness
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- Anxiety (especially when avoidance is prominent)
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- Depression
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- Grief and loss
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- Major life transitions
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- Perfectionism and self-criticism
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- When CBT "thought challenging" isn't landing
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### ACT Exercises
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- Values card sort or clarification
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- Defusion exercises (leaves on a stream, passengers on the bus)
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- Willingness scale (0-10, how willing are you to feel X to do Y?)
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- Committed action planning
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- Mindfulness practices
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