Raincoast Books

What Will You Read Next?

Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life

The New Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

9781572244252

New Harbinger Publications
Available: 11/01/05
8.5 x 11 · 224 pages
9781572244252
CDN $37.95 · pb

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Steven C. Hayes, PhD

with Spencer Smith


Get ready to take a different perspective on your problems and your life - and the way you live it.

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a new, scientifically based psychotherapy that takes a fresh look at why we suffer and even what it means to be mentally healthy. What if pain were a normal, unavoidable part of the human condition, but avoiding or trying to control painful experience were the cause of suffering and long-term problems that can devastate your quality of life? The ACT process hinges on this distinction between pain and suffering. As you work through this book, you'lllearn to let go of your struggle against pain, assess your values, and then commit to acting in ways that further those values.
ACT is not about fighting your pain; it's about developing a willingness to embrace every experience life has to offer. It's not about resisting your emotions; it's about feeling them completely and yet not turning your choices over to them. ACT offers you a path out of suffering by helping you choose to live your life based on what matters to you most. If you're struggling with anxiety, depression, or problem anger, this book can help - clinical trials suggest that ACT is very effectivefor a whole range of psychological problems. But this is more than a self-help book for a specific complaint - it is a revolutionary approach to living a richer and more rewarding life.
- Learn why the very nature of human language can cause suffering
- Escape the trap of avoidance
- Foster willingness to accept painful experience
- Practice mindfulness skills to achieve presence in the moment
- Discover the things you really value most
- Commit to living a vital, meaningful life

This book has been awarded The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Self-Help Seal of Merit - an award bestowed on outstanding self-help books that are consistent with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles and that incorporate scientifically tested strategies for overcoming mental health difficulties. Used alone or in conjunction with therapy, our books offer powerful tools readers can use to jump-start changes in their lives.

Steven C. Hayes, PhD , is Foundation Professor Emeritus at the University of Nevada, Reno; and president of the Institute for Better Health. Author of forty-eight books and more than 700 scientific articles, he has been president of numerous professional organizations and is among the most cited living psychologists. He has shown in his research on relational frame theory (RFT) how and why language and symbolic thought leads both to human achievement and to human suffering, and has guided the extensionof RFT to acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)-a powerful therapy method that is among the most widely researched and broadly applicable behavior change methods known to science. Spencer Smith is executive director of the Institute for Better Health; cofounder of Psychflex, Incorporated; and author/contributor of/to many books in the fields of health, nutrition, and psychology. Spencer has worked for more than twenty years in many different areas related to the health and psychology fields, including content creation, information distribution marketing, business development, continuing education, and e-commerce platform growth and deployment. In his spare time, Spencer likes to hike,garden, and play games with his family. He is also a lifelong aikido practitioner with a sixth-degree black belt in the art.