The acceptance and commitment therapy program are among the comprehensive addiction treatment therapies offered at Sierra Sage Recovery Services. Get answers to your questions about our acceptance and commitment therapy program at our Las Vegas rehab facility, and learn how to benefit from this program.

What is the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Program?

Acceptance and commitment therapy is used in a variety of treatment settings. Clients with substance use disorders and clients with dual diagnosis disorders may benefit from this type of therapy.

Some individuals with an addiction or a dual diagnosis may struggle with other issues. Some people start their substance abuse when they misuse prescription drugs that were prescribed for chronic pain. Therapists may incorporate acceptance and commitment therapy when clients self-medicate their mental health conditions.

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a behavioral therapy that involves an action-oriented approach. It is a third-generation behavioral therapy that features a contextual approach to behavior. It focuses on an idea or theory that suffering is one of the basic characteristics of human beings’ lives. Some components and aspects of ACT include:

• It includes acceptance and mindfulness-based interventions.
• It includes dialectical behavior therapy and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.
• Clients learn that it is potentially counterproductive to try to control or suppress painful experiences or emotions.
• It helps clients to consistently choose to act effectively to find opportunities for empowering and positive behaviors.
• Clients learn to increase their psychological flexibility.

Psychological Flexibility in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Psychological flexibility may sound like a difficult concept to understand, but it is easy to benefit clients in therapy. It is important to accept and commit in therapy as clients learn to accept that a painful event occurred rather than trying to avoid it. People often choose to avoid painful events or situations by turning to alcohol or other drugs.

Psychological flexibility as part of ACT guides clients through the process of being in the present, and rather than suppressing a negative event or situation in their lives. They learn to act beneficially.

Benefits of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

There are several benefits of acceptance and commitment therapy. Clients work their way through the six core processes of ACT, which sources describe as acceptance, cognitive defusion, being present in the moment, self as context, values, and taking committed action.

Opening up about and making room for experiencing the unpleasant or negative thoughts allows for ceasing the struggle with those thoughts or experiences. Some sources describe acceptance as the missing link in traditional behavioral therapy. Clients learn to become unstuck from their avoidance behaviors and to accept certain situations.

Cognitive defusion allows clients to no longer be consumed by their thoughts or feelings, leading to their substance abuse or certain mental health symptoms. This leads to being present in the moment, the benefit of focusing on what is happening now and what may happen in life in the future. On the other hand, identifying the self in context allows clients to get in touch with their observant self and basically think about their thought processes.

Confusing goals with values or having a lack of values is a barrier to psychological flexibility. This step allows for identifying and establishing motivating values. Clients then learn to establish a willingness to regain control over their own life.

Clients take committed action by ceasing their denying or fighting their history and their past emotional states. They take effective action to find and demonstrate empowering behaviors.

Contact Sierra Sage Recovery Services to Start Your Path to Recovery

Sierra Sage Recovery Services welcomes clients to the acceptance and commitment therapy program for substance use disorder recovery. Contact us at 702.880.8231 to learn about all our addiction treatment therapy programs and to get started on a better lifestyle today.