Getting Unstuck in ACT: A Clinician's Guide to Overcoming Common Obstacles in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Author(s): Russ Harris (Author)
Publisher: New Harbinger
Publication Date: 19 Sept. 2013
Language: English
Print length: 176 pages
ISBN-10: 1608828050
ISBN-13: 9781608828050
Book Description
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a powerful, evidence-based treatment for clients struggling with depression, anxiety, addiction, eating disorders, and a host of other mental health conditions. It is based in the belief that the road to lasting happiness and well-being begins with accepting our thoughts, rather than trying to change them. However, ACT can present certain roadblocks during treatment. As a mental health professional, you may adopt basic principles of ACT easily, but it generally takes at least two or three years of hard work and ongoing study to become truly fluid in the model. During that time, you will probably find yourself “stuck” at some point, and so will your clients.
In Getting Unstuck in ACT, psychotherapist and bestselling author of ACT Made Simple, Russ Harris, provides solutions for overcoming the most common roadblocks in ACT. In the book, you will learn how to deal with reluctant or unmotivated clients, as well as how to get past certain theoretical aspects of ACT that some clients may find confusing.
This book will help clients deal with sticky dilemmas and unsolvable problems, and will help simplify key ACT concepts to help you break down psychological barriers. Other common problems with ACT that the book addresses are inconsistencies and sending mixed messages, talking and explaining ACT instead of doing it, being too eager to treat a client, being a “Mr. Nice Guy or Ms. Nice Girl,” or putting too much focus on one process while neglecting others. The chapters of the book are based in real life scenarios that take place between therapist and client, and the author provides feedback by analyzing mistakes in what was said and where improvements could be made.
As more and more mental health professionals incorporate ACT into their practice, it is increasingly necessary to have a guide that offers them effective solutions to common ACT roadblocks. For that reason, this book is a must-have for any ACT therapist.
Editorial Reviews
Review
Russ Harris has a well-deserved, worldwide reputation for creating clarity where there is confusion, and simplicity where there is unnecessary complexity. When we are ‘stuck’ in clinical work, reducing confusion and complexity helps us see a pathway forward. There is wisdom on almost every page of this book. I learned a lot reading it and if you do ACT work, you will too. Highly recommended. ― Steven C. Hayes, PhD, cofounder of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
Once again, Russ Harris has delivered a perfect book on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Crystal-clear and friendly, Getting Unstuck in ACT is a survival guide for the fumbles, ‘stuckness,’ and fear that we all experience in the therapy room. This book is the Swiss Army Knife that will sit front and center in my ACT library. ―
Shawn T. Smith, PsyD, author of The User’s Guide to the Human Mind
Russ Harris has done it again―written another practical and easy-to-follow book that should be a welcome addition to the library of any acceptance and commitment therapist, from the novice to the most seasoned veteran. This step-by-step troubleshooting guide is the next best thing to a tow truck to get you and your clients out of therapeutic ditch we all too often find ourselves stuck in. Think of it as ACT roadside assistance. If you haven’t needed it yet, take it from one who has―you will. Buy this book and keep it in your glove compartment. ―
Robert Zettle, PhD, author of ACT for Depression
Book Description
In Getting Unstuck in ACT, psychotherapist Russ Harris, tackles common ACT obstacles faced by both therapists and their clients that can make them feel “stuck.” These obstacles include sending mixed messages on the part of the therapist, a lack of motivation on the clients’ part, as well as confusion regarding the theoretical basis of ACT. This book is a must-have for any ACT therapist looking to streamline their therapeutic approach.
About the Author
Dr Russ Harris, M.B.B.S., is a physician and psychotherapist, working in private practice in Melbourne, Australia.
He was born in England in 1966, and graduated in medicine from the University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, in 1989. He emigrated to Australia in 1991, where he began working as a GP. He became increasingly interested in the psychological aspects of health and wellbeing, and this interest led to a career change – from medical practitioner to therapist.
Since 2005, Russ has provided training in ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) for over 80,000 health professionals around the globe. He has authored four ACT textbooks, and six ACT-based self-help books. His best-known book, The Happiness Trap, has sold over one million copies worldwide, with translations into over thirty languages.
In 2015 Russ created an ACT protocol for the WHO (World Health Organization), for use in refugee camps. The WHO have now researched and published three trials based on this protocol, showing that it not only significantly reduces depression and PTSD but also prevents the onset of mental health disorders in those at high risk. Russ also wrote and designed a cartoon-based book for the WHO (based on ACT) called Doing What Matters In Times of Stress – and this is now the most commonly downloaded mental health resource on the WHO website.
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