FACT – Brief Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Many people do not know that brief therapy exists, which can be performed in very few sessions and, in some cases, even in a single session. Also, sessions can last from 25 to 30 minutes. Intervention sites can be health institutions such as hospitals, clinics and, of course, also doctor’s offices.

Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, FACT, was created by Kirk Strosahl and Patricia Robinson, who are also authors of an online course I’m taking now.

The principles are from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, but include interesting new features. In this text, I will talk about the initial assessment and about the 3 pillars of FACT for intervention.

Initial assessment

The initial assessment focuses on 4 areas of life:

• Relationships (family, friends, romantic relationships),
• Work and/or study,
• Health,
• Entertainment, fun leisure.

Having an overview of these areas, we move on to what we can call the core problem, the complaint that brought the person to the session, which is often related to the previous areas.

The 3 Pillars of Intervention

At ACT we use the 6 hexaflex processes:

• Acceptance
• Presence
• Cognitive Defusion
• I observer
• Values
• Shares committed to the values

You can learn more about Hexaflex by taking our free course by clicking here Free Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Course

At FACT, the 6 processes are summarized in 3 pillars:

– Opening

– Conscience

– Engagement

Openness means going against emotional avoidance, that is, moving on to feeling and opening up to feelings and emotions and physical sensations. A significant part of psychological problems is related to avoidance. Understanding that feeling a “negative” emotion such as sadness or anxiety is normal and being able to open up to them allows for an important improvement, as we no longer try to escape what we feel, nor seek refuge in false refuges, as with addictions.

Awareness is paying more attention to what is happening here and now, as well as what is going through our minds, such as thoughts and images. Another significant part of the disorders consists of cognitive fusion, firmly believing in the thoughts that arise without being aware that they are just thoughts.

Thoughts also appear as rigid rules like “I always have to get it right” or “I have to have X job to be an excellent professional. If I am an excellent professional, I will be a worthy person”. And many others who are well known in cognitive behavioral therapy.

And, finally, the third pillar is engagement, which consists of activating behaviors that are no longer carried out or starting new habits and behaviors that are consistent with what is important to the person.

Thus, in FACT, after the initial assessment of areas of life and the central problem, at the end of the session a behavioral experiment is proposed that the person feels confident in doing or an exercise or practice that involves increasing openness or awareness.

Conclusion

Evidently, brief therapy, which is carried out in a few or even a single session, is not indicated for all cases. Many cases need a follow-up of months or years.

However, it is important for professionals and patients to know about the possibility of brief therapy, which can be very helpful at certain times in our lives.

Schedule a session – Dr Felipe de Souza – 11984156914

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