ACT for Intrusive Thoughts

Heather Hildebrant, LiCSW, Therapeutic Work Program Director

ACT hexaflex graphic from Nesh Nikolic

One of our newest mental health group offerings at the Ranch is ACT for Intrusive Thoughts. If you’re not familiar with ACT, otherwise known as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, it’s designed to help individuals accept thoughts and feelings without judgment, take meaningful actions that align with their values, and build cognitive flexibility by staying focused on the present moment. The principles of ACT are illustrated in a visual model called the hexaflex. The goal is to help people lead a more fulfilling life, even in the presence of challenging thoughts and emotions.

The six core components of ACT are:

  1. Acceptance– Learning to accept uncomfortable thoughts and feelings, instead of fighting against them, or trying to numb them. A common metaphor we use in our group is the passengers on a bus metaphor. Imagine your mind as a bus, and these thoughts as passengers. They can be loud and disruptive and often times will cause you to veer from the path you want to take, or stop the bus altogether. But rather than trying to fight with them, ACT encourages you to allow them to be there, while still focusing on driving toward your destination.
  2. Cognitive Defusion– This process helps you create distance between yourself and your thoughts. Thoughts are just thoughts. Cognitive defusion teaches you to observe your thoughts with curiosity, rather than getting caught up in them or letting them control you.
  3. Being Present– ACT emphasizes the importance of mindfulness, or being fully engaged in the present moment. By paying attention to what’s happening here and now with openness and curiosity, you can create space between yourself and your intrusive thoughts, making it easier to respond in ways that align with your values.
  4. Self-as-Context– This concept helps you see that you are more than your thoughts or feelings. You are the steady, consistent observer of your experiences as your thoughts will come and go. You are the driver of your bus!
  5. Values– ACT encourages you to clarify what truly matters to you. Values are what gives your life meaning and helps you know which direction to steer your bus.
  6. Committed Action– Once you know your values, ACT helps you take steps toward living them. Committed action means doing what matters to you, even when life gets tough. Whether these are big steps or small ones, they all contribute to building a life that reflects what’s important to you.

In our Intrusive Thoughts group, we use ACT to help residents develop skills to take back the control of the bus. Our group really enjoys this “choose your own adventure”-style video about passengers on the bus. We encourage you to check it out and explore how ACT can help you steer your bus in the direction that matters most to you.

 

CARF Accredited: Spring Lake Ranch programs are CARF accredited. The CARF accreditation signals our commitment to continually improving services, encouraging feedback, and serving the community.

Spring Lake Ranch is a member of the American Residential Treatment Association (ARTA). ARTA members are dedicated to providing extraordinary care to adults with mental illness.