Act Therapy

[Powder]

In looking at types of therapy, I found ACT, which was born in the 80s. Steven Hayes, Ph.D. at the University of Nevada is the figurehead. He looks like Voldemort from the Harry Potter movies, but I will try to overlook that. :)

I found one of the videos, the first link on the list of YouTube videos (quality was not that great) to be rather validating and somehow comforting. It was not new information for me, but it presented it in a rather comforting, understanding, and compassionate way. I would suggest that if you have a carer who doesn't really "get" PTSD, especially from Child abuse, this would be a nice, brief introduction. The only thing I don't like is the age of it, and the video quality seems or is 80s.

If you have any good Links to share on ACT therapy, please add to this thread to help people researching this type of therapy.

This therapy is a scientific version of Mindfullness therapy.

[DLMURL]http://www.stevenchayes.com/youtube/new-skills-for-living-advice-from-experts-using-act-in-daily-life/[/DLMURL]

 

[maddog]

Very topical for me Muse, as I've been doing some ACT with my therapist for a little while now. We were working on trauma processing primarily using EMDR, but he wanted to do some ACT work with me for a time to try to enhance my coping and functionality, which is one of the primary aims and focuses of the ACT model.

Russ Harris is one of the key ACT trainers and authors and he has written several books, runs a number of ACT websites etc, in addition to delivering training (certainly in Australia and abroad I think?) for therapists in the ACT model. I don't have my list of ACT links on me at the moment, but I will dig them up and post them here. There are some excellent online resources, including some entire chapters from his popular textbook "The Happiness Trap" and the training manual for therapists, so there's a lot you can access online if you're keen.

Currently, I am struggling with the model a bit - finding it very neat and logical in theory and very difficult to implement when very symptomatic, but that might well be my own reluctant resistance to change and difficulty in embracing new therapeutic models at the moment. The therapy itself is increasingly popular and well empirically validated thesedays in addressing a whole range of psychological disorders, so I'm remaining open-minded... I think!

And hey, I'll ask my therapist who he thinks Stephen Hayes looks like - he's a big Harry fan, so it'll be interesting to see if he makes the connection too!!

Maddog

 

[The Albatross]

"The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living" by Russ Harris is ACT model stuff. It was beyond me last year, but I intend to reread and to attempt to incorporate some of the skill sets this year.

 

[John7377]

I completed a 10 week ACT course at my local VAMC. Overall it was pretty good. It helped me deal with the anxiety, stress, and depression that memories of my past trauma bring to my daily lfe. When we ended the class, our therapist asked each one of us what we got most from the class. My response was that the realization that other perfectly normal people have to deal with stress and depression from past experiences helped me the most. The relaxation techniques were nothing new, but hearing other people talk about their problems made me realize that my problems are not unusual.

 

[maddog]

Feeling a sense of shared experience with others is one of the potential benefits of any group therapy context I think, so I'm glad it was able to achieve that for you.

"The Happiness Trap" has beaten me for now too Alba, I've given up... or perhaps I should rephrase and say that I've postponed my reading until such time as I am more able to receive the content. Now isn't that time for me apparently. For now, I can't help but feel it is more of a general coping and stress management framework, rather than anything appropriate for very symptomatic trauma. I am assured to the contrary of course, but for now, that's where I'm at.

Maddog

 

[Powder]

Thanks! I am trying to learn more before diving back in. I have a need to plan and know more before I leap. Therapy is so scary for me that I seem to not be able to do it. Since flashbacks started and I've become more symptomatic, I have discovered that I'm not as good at "making myself" do things. In other words, my body rebels. When I have tried to go to therapy, I end up so triggered, cold, frozen up, and crying that I can't make my mind work. Then, I see no point because I have gotten worse and worse with increased time in therapy.

Abstract said CBT made her feel worse. I wonder if that is the method used on me? When I asked for such info, I get nothing. I live in a rural area, and though I only have a Master's I find I am a minority here. My T. had a Ph.D. but seems uncertain what to do with someone who wants to know what model is being used. I didn't even ask in a direct, threatening kind of way. Maybe I was too non-specific.

Do you find you have to interview the new therapist in order to find out what methods they tend to use or what combination of approaches?

The nicer T. I had here was not really Trauma qualified. I found her ideas about PTSD to be minimal. But at least she said she was a Positive Psychology-oriented therapist trained in other methods.

I discovered that it's hard to find a qualified therapist. No wonder I felt awful going; I could tell I was wasting my and their time and my money. :)

I'm grateful that there is something online to use to find better resources and know when I've finally found them (someday).

Muse