Blog
Psychologist licensed to work in Brazil, graduated from the Institute of Psychology of the University of São Paulo (USP). Trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in the Par Institute, as well as in Counseling on Access to Lethal Means and Psychological First-Aid. Currently pursuing post-graduate studies in Clinical Behavior Analysis.
Ayumi Costa
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Learn more about Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, also known as ACT. Read below for a brief explanation of some of the main processes that guide what would be practiced in your session.
Acceptance
"Acceptance, (...) is the voluntary adoption of an intentionally open, receptive, flexible, and non-judgmental stance toward moment-to-moment experience."
Self-as-Context
"We need to have a place of sanctuary (...) That sanctuary is the simple experience of being aware that we are the ones who contain and look at our private experience."
Present Moment
"In the most general sense, the ability to allocate our attention with focus and flexibility gives us the best opportunity to be shaped by—and shape—the world around us."
Values
"ACT assumes that every client already has everything they need to live a rich and meaningful life. (...) Chosen values provide a much more stable personal compass."
Defusion
"The word machine in our heads is a powerful and useful tool, but it is also destructive when it leads us astray. (...) the goal of defusion is to learn to adopt a posture of voluntary cognitive flexibility."
Committed Action
"(...) in ACT, committed action is a value-based action that occurs at a particular moment in time and that is deliberately linked to the creation of a pattern of action that serves the value."
Reference: S. HAYES, K. STROSAHL, K. WILSON. Terapia de aceitação e compromisso: o processo e a prática da mudança consciente. 2ª edição. Porto Alegre: Artmed, 2021. Quotations freely translated from Portuguese.
“The psychological pain that is inherent in difficult situations in life can be accepted for what it is, and we can learn from it; our attention and focus can then be shifted to life-enhancing behaviors. ”
-
Steven C. Hayes, Kirk D. Strosahl, & Kelly G. Wilson.