A Prospective Analysis of Acceptance of Pain and Values-Based Action in Patients With Chronic Pain

Lance M. McCracken and Kevin E. Vowles
These two researchers have been publishing more and more on acceptance and values and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Contextual Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CCBT), and this paper is another example of the type of work being undertaken.
The objective was to ‘prospectively investigate the combined processes of acceptance of [...]

Mindfulness effectiveness

One of the most delightful aspects of the ‘new wave’ of cognitive behavioural therapies is the continued adherence to test the effectiveness of therapy in a scientific way. There has been quite a flow of ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), CCBT (Contextual Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and allied therapies in the psychological literature, and now [...]

Explaining mindfulness - doing and being

Today I worked with a person who is very analytic, and finds it quite difficult to feel emotions or experience sensations without thinking about them. He has persistent pain that he calls ‘frustrating’ or ‘unbearable’ - emotions that for me are quite poles apart!
His overall anxiety levels are quite high, and at one time [...]

Control or acceptance?

I’ve been reading a wee bit of ACT, acceptance and commitment therapy recently. I’m trying to find a relatively simple way to explain ACT to my patients, many of whom just don’t do reading, and prefer living life in a practical way, rather than an intellectual or even spiritual way. I’m not sure [...]

Truths from the past

Mindfulness, Contextual Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy suggest that the problem with traditional cognitive behavioural therapy is that it attempts to control the uncontrollable. These therapies work on helping us to let go of the attempt to control against difficulties, and instead, focus on being aware of, but not judging, our negative [...]