ACT and RFT in Relationships: Helping Clients Deepen Intimacy and Maintain Healthy Commitments Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Relational Frame Theory

By JoAnne Dahl PhD (Author)

Publisher: Context Press

Publication Date: January 2, 2014

Dimensions: 6 x 0.75 x 9 inches

ISBN-10: 9781608823345

ISBN-13: 978-1608823345

Print Length: 296 pages

In this book, even if you are not a couples therapist, chances are you have dealt with clients whose problems are based in relationship issues. To successfully treat these clients, it is essential to help them understand their values and how their behavior may be undermining their attempts at seeking intimacy and connection.

Combining elements of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and relational frame theory (RFT), ACT and RFT for Relationships presents a unique approach for therapists to assist clients in developing and experiencing deeper, more loving relationships. By delving into personal values and expectations, and addressing central patterns of behavior, therapists can help their clients establish and maintain intimacy with their partners and gain a greater understanding of their relationship as a whole.

ACT is a powerful treatment model that teaches clients to accept their thoughts, identify their core values, and discover how these values are extended to their relationships. RFT focuses on behavioral approaches to language and cognition, helping clients recognize their own expectations regarding relationships and communicate them more effectively with their loved ones.