Summary: <p>ACT and the Matrix<br> What Every Counselor Should Know<br> with Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes<br> Executive Director, AllCEUs<br> Host: Counselor Toolbox & Happiness Isn’t Brain Surgery</p> <p>CEUs based on this video are available at <a href="https://www.allceus.com/member/cart/index/product/id/519/c/">https://www.allceus.com/member/cart/index/product/id/519/c/</a></p> <p>Objectives<br> ~ Review the main points of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy<br> ~ Review how to apply the matrix<br> ~ Identify the shortcut question<br> The Main Principles of ACT<br> ~ The goals are to:<br> ~ Create a rich and meaningful life, while accepting the pain that inevitably goes with it.<br> ~ Learn to perceive difficult thoughts and feelings as harmless, even if uncomfortable, transient psychological events.<br> ~ Take effective action guided by your deepest values and in which you are fully present and engaged. (No autopilot)<br> Control is the Problem, Not the Solution<br> ~ Clean Discomfort: When emotions and reactions are accepted, it leads to a natural level of physical and emotional discomfort<br> ~ Dirty Discomfort: Once you start struggling with it, your “struggle switch is turned on” and discomfort increases rapidly.<br> ~ Struggle switch is like an emotional amplifier—switch it on, and you can have anger about your anxiety, anxiety about your anger, depression about your depression, or guilt about our guilt.</p> <p>Experiential Avoidance</p> <p>~ The more time and energy spent trying to avoid or get rid of unwanted feelings in general, the more we are likely to suffer “Quicksand”<br> ~ Anxiety (Fear things won’t get better)<br> ~ Anger (Frustration things aren’t getting better)<br> ~ Depression (Hopelessness and helplessness—resignation that things can’t get better)<br> Changeable Variables in Context<br> ~ Emotions are a natural way your body prompts you to act.<br> ~ Focus on changeable variables in the context in which the issue occurs<br> ~ Physical vulnerabilities (sleep, nutrition, pain)<br> ~ Relationships (boundaries and communication)<br> ~ Thoughts (Distress Tolerant)<br> ~ Behaviors (DBT/CBT)</p> <p> </p> <p>Six Core Principles of ACT<br> ~ Values Awareness<br> ~ Contact with the Present Moment<br> ~ The Observing Self<br> ~ Acceptance<br> ~ Diffusion<br> ~ Committed Action</p> <p>Clarifying the Destination<br> Values & Goals Awareness<br> ~ A lack of clarity about values can underlie much of people’s distress or keep them “stuck.”<br> ~ Like going on a road trip without a destination<br> ~ They can get caught up spinning their wheels trying to fight against something or use that same energy to work toward something.<br> ~ “What is the most effective use of your limited energy and time to help you achieve your goals?”</p> <p>Clarifying the Destination<br> Values & Goals<br> ~ Clarifying<br> ~ Relationships: Who is most important to you?<br> ~ Which people?<br> ~ What do you want those relationships to be like?<br> ~ What events, things, experiences are meaningful to you?<br> ~ Work<br> ~ Health<br> ~ Personal Growth<br> Clarifying cont…<br> ~ Values<br> ~ What values do you want to embody (Choose 5)?<br> ACT Matrix: Destination Identification<br> • Values Awareness<br> • Contact with the Present Moment<br> • The Observing Self<br> • Acceptance<br> • Diffusion<br> • Committed Action</p> <p>The Observing Self<br> The Audience<br> ~ Fly on the Wall /Scientist/Nurse doing bed check<br> ~ Curious<br> ~ Objective<br> ~ Nonjudgmental</p> <p>Mindfulness in the Present Moment<br> Awareness of What Is<br> ~ Contact with the Present Moment/Bringing full awareness to your here-and-now experience<br> ~ How do I feel?<br> ~ What are my thoughts, wants and urges?<br> ~ What physical sensations am I experiencing?<br> ~ Describe the environment—smell, temperature, colors, objects, people, </p>
