Compare and contrast Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Solution Focused Brief Therapy

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a relatively new form of therapy derived from a combination of cognitive and behaviour interventions, which are constructed on empirical evaluation of communication and cognitions (Hayes, 2004).

In this paper, I will discuss the case study of “Ana”. Ana is 24 years old, has lost her job, and worries about becoming homeless. She currently is a single parent due to her husband being deployed in a combat zone overseas for the next eight months. Ana is a first generation immigrant from Guatemala; she comes from a large family. She claims to have a close relationship with her family but has not seen her family for about a year. Her father is a banker and her mother an educator, her three siblings all has graduated college and have professional careers. Ana has completed one year of college, but needed to leave school after her son was born, finding it difficult to manage being a parent, student and a full-time employee as well. While showing signs of being depressed and anxious, she has agreed to eight sessions for treatment. Using this background information in this paper will cover the use of Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) for the treatment of Ana.

This paper will focus on client’s presenting concerns and her biopsysocial system. Reader will explore how Solution Focused Therapy and Harm Reduction Therapy are relevant to client’s problems and why they would be most effective for client. Two intervention models that are relevant to the theories chosen will be outlined and how they relate to the client. An intervention plan that includes goals for the client will be evaluated and measured. Finally, the paper will discuss how the model chosen for intervention will have an impact on the macro level of change.

From the time of Wilhelm Wundt, who first developed an experimental apparatus to measure mental processes and Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, many more theories have been developed since then. These new theories were developed with different distinct theoretical approaches and applications, and according to Cheston, there are at least 240 new counseling theories in practice after Freud’s psychoanalytic theory (Cheston, 2000). It is not my intention to review all of these counseling theories here. In this paper, I will only compare and contrast the Solution-Focused Brief Therapy and the Reality Therapy. Both of these counseling therapies, in my opinion would contribute most to biblical counseling. In this paper,

This term paper is about solution-focused therapy and experiential therapy. In solution-focused therapy, the therapy does not emphasize the problem at all; it stresses and highlights the solution. The client is the expert and not the therapist. The experiential approach is often used to facilitate meaningful changes in individuals. SFBT is a short-term goal focused therapeutic approach which directs clients to focus on developing solutions, rather than on dwelling on problems. The theoretical framework, how change occurs, therapeutic techniques, postmodern perspective, the role of the therapist and some clinical examples are given in this term paper.

“The goal of CBT is to teach clients how to separate the evaluation of their behaviour from the evaluation of themselves and how to accept themselves in spite of imperfections” (Corey, 2009, p. 279). In CBT the clients are expected to change their current behaviour (normally full of automatic thoughts) to a more rational way of thinking. The clinician will challenge the client’s behaviour in order for the client to understand his or her behaviour and get alternatives to change his/her behaviour. When using CBT, the client’s behaviour changes when they are aware of the abnormal behaviour. This approach allows the client to focus on improving his/her wellbeing. This enhances the client’s awareness of an existing issue and that changes are necessary. The client will develop new coping skills to deal with the situation and develop a new way of thinking from negative (automatic thoughts) to positive (more realistic thoughts). Initially the client may not recognise that a problem exists, but through this process will get

Client resistance is ever present in the social work profession. As per Goldstein (1995), resistance presents itself in treatment within the client’s conscious or unconscious actions which interfere with therapeutic progress. Assessing the complex dynamic causing a client’s resistant behavior during clinical treatment is a challenging, but an essential task for goal achievement. According to Woods and Hollis (2000), understanding why a client is resistant facilitates reaching common ground with the client, enabling realistic goal setting. The causality of resistance is often discomfort associated with the client not being in a state of readiness, further emphasizing the need for mutual goal setting in order to obtain treatment progression.

This paper uses the application, concepts and techniques from The Solution-Focused Brief Therapy and The Satir Model under Family Therapy in working with the case study of George.

Researchers such as Hayes and Strosahl (2005) defines acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) as an empirically based intervention technique from the cognitive behavior model of psychotherapy that employs mindfulness and acceptance methods mixed in various ways. Grounded within the practical concept of functional contextualism and based on the comprehensive idea of language and cognition, ACT is different from the normal or traditional cognitive behavioral therapy. The differences are manifested in the paradigm of instead of teaching people to control their emotions, ACT teaches them to acknowledge, accept and embrace the emotions and or feelings (Hayes, Louma, Bond, Masuda, & Lillis, 2006). Primarily, western traditions

Terms discussed in paper: CBT: Cognitive-behavioural therapy; HEP: Health enhancement program; TAU: Treatment as usual; TRD: Treatment-resistant depression; Mediators: Measurable changes during a treatment; MBCT: Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy;

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) has a small but growing database of support. One hundred and one heterogeneous outpatients reporting moderate to severe levels of anxiety or depression were randomly assigned to traditional cognitive therapy (CT) or to ACT. To maximize external validity, the authors utilized very minimal exclusion criteria. Participants receiving CT and ACT evidenced large, equivalent improvements in depression, anxiety, functioning difficulties, quality of life, life satisfaction, and clinician-rated functioning. Whereas improvements were equivalent across the two groups, the mechanisms of action appeared to differ. Changes in “observing” and “describing” one’s experiences appeared to mediate outcomes for the CT group

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is one of the recent contemporary psychological interventions used today. Researched over the past 40 years, and more effectively utilized in the past decade for a diverse range of clinical conditions. The initial industry reaction to (ACT) was free- flowing, both positive and negative. Nevertheless, Hayes (2008) suggested that the negative reactions mainly stemmed from just the misunderstandings of ACT. Hofmann & Asmundson (2008) had much to say about the technical level (ACT), and made comment that it was too similar to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

Acceptance and commitment therapy, formally called comprehensive distancing, helps individuals connect their thoughts, feelings, and emotions with their self-as-context or the self that is experiencing and observing the world. The western philosophy of psychology teaches people that some possess troubled minds while others do not. In ACT, the theory suggests that troubles come within ourselves and arise out of hiccups up in our thought or emotional processes. As a result of these emotional and cognitive disturbances, ACT holds that people thrash against these unpleasant thoughts and feelings. Instead of just accepting them, people create experiential avoidance for themselves, pushing thoughts out of their head or failing to engage in behaviors that make them anxious or depressed.

In addition to the brief, first visit interview a therapist could use an introduction to ACT. ACT stands for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. It is an empirically based psychosocial intervention (Long, 2015). Although it is considered a therapy, the initial steps to ACT can be used to give a therapist more information about the client. It is important for the therapist to understand what may be important to the patient to begin their sessions together. According to Long (2015), it is a conceptual model that guides the processes of clinical assessment, intervention, and consultation. In other words, it can benefit and aide in the process of diagnosis, treatment, and conversation. This is extremely important because the therapist then

The major differences between the models are suggested in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). ACT suggests clients must open up, be present and familiar with self-actualization for therapy to work. The differences propose that only clients who are willing and ready to change will be successful in therapy. Furthermore, it advances that clients who are not tuned into their potential or want to fulfill their talents are unable to succeed.