CFT and ACT

Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) are two “third-wave” cognitive and behavioral therapies. Instead of trying the ‘twist the arm’ behavioral approach or the “challenge unhelpful thoughts” approach, CFT and ACT  therapy help clients change their relationship to their internal and external world to live a life with more ease, wellbeing, and meaning.

Let’s play with this idea to make it a bit clearer. Read this sentence and see what happens next in your mind:

“Twinkle twinkle little ______...”

What happened? If you and I shared some similar cultural experiences growing up,  your mind likely said “star”! If not, you might have just been perplexed. Our minds evolved or were created in a specific way that was helpful for survival but not that helpful for developing/honing/inviting wellbeing.

Let’s try this: instead of the prompt ‘twinkle twinkle’, what happens when you think about yourself in an area that matters to you and you say the sentence:

“Deep down I really think that I am ______.... “

For many of us and our clients that blank gets filled with “an imposter”, “not good enough” “ugly” “disgusting” “a failure” “a bad romantic partner” “a bad parent” or some other version of that.

ACT and CFT help clients make space for that thought and then shift their relationship to it. ACT and CFT do this by using process-based and experiential techniques that help clients evoke and contact the painful content, and then gently (and often playfully) help them change their response or relationship to that content. Both ACT and CFT are evidence-based therapies and have been used effectively for most disorders that mental health professionals encounter.

Even though they are called “third-wave” cognitive and behavior therapies, in some ways they are also stepping into the ‘fourth wave’ which is an intentional approach to linking specific techniques to client needs and mechanisms of change.

What is CFT?

Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) aims to develop an individual’s capacity to cope with life’s difficulties by increasing their ability to act compassionately towards themselves and others. It is a biopsychosocial model of psychotherapy which acknowledges that individuals high in shame and self-criticism need support in accessing their compassionate and soothing systems in order to feel more warmth in their interactions with themselves and others. CFT helps to address feelings such as shame and guilt through evolutionary-focused psychoeducation and compassionate mind training to develop experiences of warmth, safety, soothing, and self-compassion. CFT teaches skills of how to increase self-compassion and self-acceptance, how to reduce self-criticism and negative self-talk, and how to regulate emotions.

What is ACT?

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) encourages individuals to change the way that they relate to their thoughts, feelings, and inner experiences, and aims to help individuals to accept what is outside of their control as well as engage in actions that enrich their lives. Ultimately, ACT helps individuals to develop psychological flexibility, which is an ability to adapt to life’s challenges with a mindful and accepting attitude. High psychological flexibility for instance allows individuals to act in accordance with their values despite the challenges they face. ACT focuses on developing mindfulness practices, and helps individuals to attend to and accept their emotions and thoughts. This therapy also helps clients to identify and connect to their values such as through planning value-based action.