En

English — Official English version of act-techniques.

ACT Techniques — Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (English)

Foundation

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT, pronounced as the word "act") was developed by Steven C. Hayes and belongs to the third wave of behavioral therapy. ACT does not aim at symptom reduction, but at psychological flexibility — the ability to act openly and consciously in the present moment, guided by personal values.

Core message: The pain is not the problem — the struggle against the pain is.

The Hexaflex Model

The Hexaflex is the central model of ACT. Six core processes together form psychological flexibility. Each process is the counterpart to a pathological process (psychological inflexibility).

                    Present Moment
                         /    \
                        /      \
              Acceptance          Self-as-Context
                |    \          /    |
                |  PSYCHOLOGICAL |
                |  FLEXIBILITY   |
                |  /          \     |
              Defusion          Values
                        \      /
                         \    /
                    Committed Action

Flexibility vs. Inflexibility

The Six Core Processes

1. Acceptance

Definition: Willingness to allow inner experiences (feelings, thoughts, bodily sensations) without trying to change, avoid, or control them.

Important: Acceptance is NOT resignation. It is an active, conscious decision to make room for experience.

Techniques

• Willingness Scale (0-10): "How willing are you right now to just let this feeling be there?"
• Expansion: Locate the feeling in the body, give it shape/color/texture, let it "breathe"
• Struggle Switch Metaphor: There's a switch inside us — not for pain, but for the struggle against pain. Acceptance means flipping the struggle switch off.

Metaphor: Quicksand

If you've fallen into quicksand, the natural instinct is to fight, resist, thrash. But that's exactly what pulls you deeper. The only helpful thing: Lie flat, increase the surface area, accept contact with the quicksand. Not because quicksand is great — but because the struggle against it is the real problem.

2. Cognitive Defusion

Definition: Detaching from thoughts — seeing them for what they are: mental events, not reality itself. Instead of "I am worthless" -> "I am having the thought that I am worthless."

Techniques

• "I am having the thought that..." — Linguistically distance thoughts
• "Thank you, mind!" — Acknowledge the mind as an overactive advisor without obeying it
• Singing thoughts: Sing the distressing thought to the melody of "Happy Birthday" (reduces its credibility)
• Leaves on a stream: Imagine a stream. Place each thought on a leaf and let it float by
• Passenger naming: Give the inner critic a name ("Ah, there's Perfectionist Pete again")
• Repetition exercise: Rapidly repeat a distressing word for 30 seconds — it loses its emotional charge

Metaphor: The Uninvited Guest

Imagine you're throwing a party and an uninvited guest shows up. You have three options: (1) You throw them out — but they keep coming back and making noise. (2) You let them in and spend the whole evening monitoring them — then you miss your own party. (3) You let them in, acknowledge they're there, and continue enjoying your party. Option 3 is defusion.

3. Present Moment Awareness (Contact with the Present Moment)

Definition: Intentional, non-judgmental attention to the here and now. Neither ruminating about the past nor worrying about the future.

Techniques

• 5-4-3-2-1 Exercise: 5 things you see, 4 you hear, 3 you feel, 2 you smell, 1 you taste
• Breath awareness: 3 conscious breaths — just observe, don't control
• Sensory anchoring: Explore an object with full attention (texture, weight, temperature)
• Check-in questions: "What is happening in my body right now? What thoughts are here? What feelings?"

4. Self-as-Context (Observing Self)

Definition: Distinguishing between the self as content ("I AM anxious") and the self as context ("I NOTICE anxiety"). The observing self is the space in which all experiences occur — but it is not those experiences.

Techniques

• Sky Metaphor: "You are the sky, not the weather. Clouds, storms, sunshine — everything passes through. But the sky is always there."
• Chessboard Metaphor: "You are not the white or black pieces. You are the board on which the game takes place."
• Observer Exercise: Close your eyes. Observe thoughts. Observe feelings. Observe bodily sensations. Then: "Who is it that observes all of this?"
• Perspective Exercises: "If your 80-year-old self were to look back at this situation — what would they say?"

5. Values

Definition: Freely chosen life directions. Values are not goals (which can be achieved) but compass directions (which are followed). You never "complete" the value of "being a loving partner" — you live it, moment by moment.

Values Clarification — Life Domains

Techniques

• Tombstone Exercise: "What should be written on your tombstone? Not what you achieved, but what you stood for."
• Compass Exercise: Determine a direction for each life domain and rate on a scale of 1-10: "How important is this to me?" and "How much am I living this right now?"
• Sweet Spot of Pain: "Behind every pain lies a value. Those who don't love can't be hurt. That it hurts shows that something matters to you."

6. Committed Action

Definition: Concrete actions that align with one's own values. Not perfect, not "when I'm ready," but NOW, with all difficulties.

Techniques

• SMART Value-Goals: Specific, Measurable, Attractive, Realistic, Time-bound — but always linked to a value
• Smallest possible step: "What is the smallest step you could take TODAY toward this value?"
• Willingness check: "Are you willing to bring [unpleasant feeling] along if it shows up while you take this step?"
• Plan for obstacles: "What inner barriers might arise? How do you want to handle them?" (not: "How will you eliminate them?")

Metaphor: Passengers on the Bus

You are the bus driver of your life. On the bus sit passengers — your thoughts, feelings, memories, bodily sensations. Some are loud, threatening, ugly. They shout: "Turn right! Turn left! Stop!" You have three options:

1. Stop and fight: You stop driving and try to throw the passengers out. But you don't move forward.
2. Negotiate: You drive where the passengers want. But it's not YOUR direction.
3. Keep driving: You let the passengers shout, take them along — and still drive in YOUR direction. The passengers are allowed to be there. But THEY don't determine the route.

Committed action means: Driving the bus toward your values, no matter which passengers are on board.

Areas of Application

ACT is evidence-based and effective for:

• Depression and anxiety disorders
• Chronic pain
• Substance use disorders
• Eating disorders
• Burnout and workplace stress
• Trauma and PTSD (complementary)
• Psychotic disorders (complementary)

When to Address Which Process?

Ethical Guidelines

An AI assistant may explain ACT techniques psychoeducationally and guide exercises.

An AI assistant must NOT:

• Make diagnoses
• Simulate a therapeutic relationship
• Act alone in cases of acute suicidality — refer to professional help
• Present ACT as a substitute for psychotherapy

See: ETHICS.md

In case of acute crisis, ALWAYS refer to:

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (US): 988
• Crisis Text Line (US): Text HOME to 741741
• Samaritans (UK): 116 123
• Telefonseelsorge (DE): 0800 111 0 111 / 0800 111 0 222
• Emergency services: 911 (US) / 112 (EU)

References

• Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K. D., & Wilson, K. G. (2012). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: The Process and Practice of Mindful Change. 2nd Edition.
• Harris, R. (2009). ACT Made Simple.
• Hayes, S. C. (2005). Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life.

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