Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Trauma-Related Problems - (Paperback)

About the Book

An indispensable resource for mental health professionals, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Trauma-Related Problems offers a practical and accessible yet theoretically complete approach to using the principles of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and acute trauma-related symptoms.

Book Synopsis

New Directions in the Treatment of PTSD

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) offers a promising, empirically validated approach to the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other trauma related problems. In this volume, you'll find a complete theoretical and practical guide to making this revolutionary new model work in your practice.

After a quick overview of PTSD, the first part of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Trauma-Related Problems explains the problem of experiential avoidance as it relates to trauma and explores the verbal nature of post-traumatic stress. You'll learn the importance of mindfulness and acceptance in the ACT model, find out how to structure sessions with your clients, and examine the problem of control. The section concludes by introducing you to the idea of creative hopelessness as the starting point for creating a new, workable life after trauma.

The book's second section offers a practical, step-by-step clinical guide to the six core ACT components in chronological order:

-Creative hopelessness
-The problem of control
-Willingness and defusion
-Self-as-context
-Valued living
-Committed action

Each chapter explains how to introduce these topics to clients suffering from PTSD, illustrates each with case examples, and offers homework for your clients to use between sessions.

Review Quotes

This outstanding book offers clinicians a clear understanding of the traps of language and the paradoxical implications of trying to control our internal experiences. The authors bring years of experience working with survivors of trauma and a comprehensive grasp of their topic to this lucid explanation of acceptance and commitment therapy. Each of the treatment components is presented clearly and succinctly, yet integrated into a comprehensive whole. Illustrative case examples and session transcripts offer a vivid picture of the ACT approach.
-Chad LeJeune, Ph.D., author of The Worry Trap: How to Free Yourself from Worry and Anxiety Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy