Trauma-Focused ACT: A Practitioner’s Guide to Working with Mind, Body, and Emotion Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy PDF
Preview Trauma-Focused ACT: A Practitioner’s Guide to Working with Mind, Body, and Emotion Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
PSYCHOLOGY An in-depth, integrated approach T Trauma‑Focused to help clients heal from trauma r a Trauma-Focused ACT (TFACT) provides a flexible, comprehensive model for treating u the entire spectrum of trauma-related issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder m ACT (PTSD), addiction, depression, anxiety disorders, moral injury, chronic pain, shame, suicidality, insomnia, complicated grief, attachment issues, sexual problems, and more. a Written by internationally acclaimed ACT trainer, Russ Harris, this textbook is for ‑ practitioners at all levels of experience, and offers exclusive access to free downloadable F resources—including scripts, videos, MP3s, handouts, and worksheets. o Discover cutting-edge strategies for healing the past, “The definitive book for treating c living in the present, and building a new future. With trauma‑related difficulties u this compassion-based, exposure-centered approach, with compassion, courage, and s you’ll learn how to help your clients: cutting‑edge scientific tools.” A Practitioner’s Guide to e —Todd B. Kashdan, PhD, professor of d • Find safety and security in their bodies psychology, and author of Curious? Working with Mind, Body & Emotion Using • Overcome hyperarousal and hypoarousal “One of the clearest writers A and most creative practitioners • Break free from dissociation in the ACT community. C Acceptance & Commitment Therapy • Shift from self-hatred to self-compassion I learned something new in every subsection. T • Rapidly ground themselves and reengage in life Highly recommended.” • Unhook from difficult cognitions and emotions —Steven C. Hayes, PhD, originator of ACT • Develop an integrated sense of self H • Transform traumatic memories through “Beautifully written and intensely practical … I consider flexible exposure A it the ACT book for trauma.” • Connect with and live by their values —John P. Forsyth, PhD, coauthor of R The Mindfulness and Acceptance • Experience post-traumatic growth Workbook for Anxiety R I RUSS HARRIS is a medical practitioner, psychotherapist, and internationally acclaimed S ACT trainer. He is also author of the popular guide to ACT: the million-copy best-seller, The Happiness Trap. C P ontext ress An Imprint of New Harbinger Publications, Inc. R U S S H A R R I S www.newharbinger.com Context Press “Trauma-Focused ACT is going to go down as one of the great contributions to the field of trauma- informed care. Written in a highly accessible, practical style, Harris provides the acceptance and com- mitment therapy (ACT) therapist with a comprehensive, step-by-step approach to working with traumatized clients. The book is chock-full of tidbits of clinical advice that could only come from a highly skilled therapist with loads of experience working with trauma. If you read this book from cover to cover (and maybe read it again), you will have a complete sense of how to roll out, manage, and complete a high-potency treatment with a traumatized client. There aren’t many books out there that achieve this high ground, and this is one of them! Highly recommended.” —Kirk Strosahl, PhD, cofounder of ACT, and coauthor of Brief Interventions for Radical Change “This beautifully written and intensely practical book offers a rich array of clinical insights and strate- gies covering the many nuances and concerns that show up when working with various forms of trauma from an ACT point of view. I consider it the ACT book for trauma, and a must-read for mental health practitioners who are looking for a compassionate and transformative approach to helping their clients heal old wounds and engage their lives now in ways that matter to them.” —John P. Forsyth, PhD, coauthor of The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Anxiety Disorders “Nobody writes with greater clarity and offers more concrete, useful, and innovative suggestions and strategies than Russ Harris. This is the definitive book for treating trauma-related difficulties with compassion, courage, and cutting-edge scientific tools.” —Todd B. Kashdan, PhD, professor of psychology, and author of Curious? and The Upside of Your Dark Side “This book is a major milestone in understanding how ACT can support recovery from trauma. In this comprehensive manual, Russ Harris provides rationales, exercises, and transcripts to give therapists clear guidance on working effectively with the full range of problems associated with trauma. From hypervigilance, reexperiencing, avoidance, freezing, and dissociation to responses of shame and guilt— Trauma-Focused ACT provides numerous sensitive, respectful, and progressive ways to work with clients. Written with warmth and compassion, this is the indispensable guide for using ACT to help people with trauma.” —Eric Morris, PhD, senior lecturer and psychology clinic director at La Trobe University, and coauthor of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Psychosis Recovery “We’ve known for a long time that psychological flexibility skills are very important in addressing trauma, but we’ve had a harder time creating trauma-focused versions of ACT that can establish those skills. This book helps fill that gap, from one of the clearest writers and most creative practitioners in the ACT community. I learned something new in every subsection. Highly recommended.” —Steven C. Hayes, PhD, Nevada Foundation Professor in the department of psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno; and originator of ACT “Another gem from Russ Harris. Trauma work can be daunting—fraught with anxiety and vulnerabil- ity on the part of the therapist. By the end of the opening paragraph, you will feel your shoulders relax and know you are in capable and compassionate hands. It’s all here: from the best, most accessible description of the polyvagal theory you’ll find, to the careful construction of exposure hierarchies. Even as you venture into especially challenging areas such as suicidality or moral injury, Russ Harris provides a solid framework and proven strategies for helping clients with traumatic histories to live the life they want and deserve. An absolute must for anyone doing this important work.” —Chris McCurry, PhD, clinical psychologist, and author of Parenting Your Anxious Child with Mindfulness and Acceptance “This book is full of wonderful guidance on how to help those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and provided me with many new exercises and insights into this disorder. If you work in this area, read this book.” —Michael P. Twohig, professor at Utah State University, and coauthor of ACT in Steps “A trademark of Russ Harris is his ability to break ACT down into language that’s clear, pragmatic, and clinically useful, and to illustrate ideas with great practitioner-client dialogue. And Trauma- Focused ACT is no exception. What jumped out at me with this book was how thoroughly it explores the nuances of ACT in the context of trauma. If you are after guidance about how to use ACT in this domain, then this book leaves no stone unturned.” —Nic Hooper, senior lecturer of psychology at University of the West of England, and author of The Unbreakable Student “Trauma-Focused ACT is a great book. It speaks to therapists in a really accessible way, helping them to understand trauma in a way that will be supremely useful to their clients. The book gives a wide range of tools and strategies that are psychologically well-informed, compassionate, and based on solid scientific evidence. The book integrates perspectives from neuroscience, psychology, and a number of forms of evidence-based psychotherapy—all from within a coherent ACT framework. This book is an essential resource for all therapists.” —David Gillanders, head of clinical psychology at the University of Edinburgh “Russ Harris has once more written a simple, practical, comprehensive, easy-to-follow, state-of-the-art textbook that is an essential read for both novice and experienced clinicians. Each chapter is rich with examples, transcripts, metaphors, worksheets, tips, and common pitfalls that enable the reader to both deliver the intervention with confidence and gain a deeper understanding of the ACT model and approach to trauma. Couching the whole approach in cutting-edge research adds to the value of this book as a great resource and an absolute must-have in any clinician’s toolbox.” —Maria Karekla, PhD, associate professor at University of Cyprus, and coauthor of Cravings and Addictions “I always appreciate Russ Harris’s books in their ability to clearly communicate concrete, practically useful information on ACT in an accessible way that’s helpful for newer and more advanced practitio- ners alike. This book achieves that once again, containing an impressive collection of insightful per- spectives, tips, and exercises that are coherently integrated within an overarching model of delivering trauma-focused ACT (TFACT). It provides a notably in-depth exploration of how ACT can be tai- lored to individuals with trauma, including adaptations to common ACT exercises, strategies for over- coming challenges, and integrating other relevant theories in this area.” —Michael Levin, PhD, associate professor at Utah State University, and coeditor of Innovations in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy “Trauma-Focused ACT is essential reading for all ACT practitioners working with clients who have experienced trauma. The book provides cutting-edge and up-to-date coverage of ACT theoretical concepts and practical innovations for practitioners. Russ never fails to impress with his accessible yet theoretically on-point exploration of the topic.” —Louise McHugh, professor in the school of psychology at University College Dublin, and coauthor of A Contextual Behavioral Science Guide to the Self “Russ Harris’s ACT publications are renowned for being incredibly accessible and clinically useful. I can honestly say that with Trauma-Focused ACT, Russ has outdone himself. At every step along the journey, Russ generously offers modifications and practical tips to help us when things don’t go accord- ing to plan, while keeping us grounded in the science of ACT. Trauma-Focused ACT is an important clinical resource that truly honors the complexity of human suffering and the interpersonal therapeu- tic endeavor.” —Sheri Turrell, CPsych, peer-reviewed ACT trainer; coauthor of ACT for Adolescents and The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Teen Anxiety; psychoanalyst; and adjunct lecturer at the University of Toronto “This is an excellent, comprehensive, contemporary, and instructive guide on how to conduct TFACT. Importantly, consistent with the ACT framework, the TFACT approach is sensitively person-focused, holistic, and open to incorporating empirically supported strategies from different therapy models. Russ describes TFACT in a very accessible and practical way, with lots of illustrative therapist-client transcripts, worksheets, and other useful clinical tools. This book will serve as an excellent resource for clinicians at any level and from any theoretical orientation in their delivery of empowering support to people whose lives are constrained by the pain of trauma.” —Kenneth Pakenham, PhD, emeritus professor of clinical and health psychology at The University of Queensland, and author of The Trauma Banquet “ACT is a powerful therapeutic approach to working with trauma and its complex associated issues, such as complicated grief, identity issues, and shame. Russ Harris has pulled together all the latest cutting-edge research and practice into a manual that is broad and deep in its theoretical and practical application. If you work with clients who experience trauma, then this is a must-buy for your bookshelf, that you will find yourself constantly reaching for.” —Joe Oliver, founder of Contextual Consulting, and coauthor of The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Self-Esteem “I am profoundly grateful for this book. Russ Harris has applied his masterful ability to make complex ACT concepts highly accessible to the vitally important and often enigmatic treatment of trauma. Filled with exercises, metaphors, and handouts, this book offers dozens of fresh tools for your practice. The addition of the essential physiological factors which often accompany trauma is critical to the understanding of its treatment and is sure to enrich your clinical conversations. Russ walks us through dialogues with clients demonstrating a brilliant clinician’s understanding of the importance of weaving compassion and dignity into sessions. He will leave you with little doubt that you can hold challenging sessions with trauma survivors. If you work with clients with trauma, this is a must-read text.” —M. Joann Wright, PhD, fellow of the Association of Contextual Behavioral Science, peer-reviewed ACT trainer, and coauthor of Learning ACT for Group Treatment and Experiencing ACT from the Inside Out “As a psychotherapist, whether you work with traumatized patients or not, this book is for you. With his usual simple but precise language, Russ Harris leads you through applying your ACT skills to simple or complex trauma. This well-designed model—based on four flexible stages of intervention— encourages therapists to apply ACT according to personal style, experience, and creativity.” —Nanni Presti, professor at Kore University of Enna, Sicily “Russ Harris did it again—gifting us a guide about a complex clinical issue, written in a simple yet comprehensive way that distills the latest insights about trauma-focused clinical work. Trauma-Focused ACT is unique in its wide applicability: It will give you a firm framework for your clinical work while also leaving—and emphasizing—space and opportunities to flexibly adapt the framework to each of your individual clients. For experienced ACT therapists, it will be a source of inspiration how to further tweak and refine their trauma-focused work.” —Valerie Kiel, psychologist, and peer-reviewed ACT trainer “Russ Harris excels in making complicated stuff comprehensible. If you have experience with ACT for some time and now want to start working with people who have experienced trauma, this book is for you. If you have worked treating people who have experienced trauma and now want to start using ACT, this book is for you. In a very structured yet flexible way, Russ Harris guides you through the important aspects of trauma and the six core processes of ACT. The work comes to life with the many case examples and dialogues that help you understand how to address important issues.” —Jacqueline A-Tjak, PhD, clinical psychologist, and peer-reviewed ACT trainer “This manuscript is an invaluable resource for clients wrestling with any form of traumatic experi- ence—guiding them to get back into their life, move beyond trauma, and find themselves again. It’s written with so much compassion and knowledge, and it’s full of resources that demonstrate—page by page—how ACT can make a difference when working with trauma-related matters. If you’re a clini- cian working with trauma, passionate about third-wave therapies, this is a must-read book!” —Patricia E. Zurita Ona, PsyD, author of The ACT Workbook for Teens with OCD and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder “In the spirit of his go-to clinical text, ACT Made Simple, Russ Harris has produced another vital and practical resource for clinicians working with trauma. Trauma-Focused ACT presents a user-friendly, yet sophisticated, model of case conceptualization, treatment planning, and cutting-edge interven- tions derived from ACT and informed by the latest science on trauma. Russ walks the reader through countless case examples and clinical exchanges to help translate principles into practice, emphasizing the safety and willingness of the client throughout the stages of therapy. Given the high prevalence and varied manifestations of trauma across cultures and populations, this book is sure to be of great value to clinicians.” —Lou Lasprugato, marriage and family therapist, and peer-reviewed ACT trainer “Russ Harris has an unusual ability to describe the work of ACT in a way that is both simple, clear, and profound. He has shown this in his earlier books, and this one on treatment of trauma is yet another example. The fact that he gives the concept of trauma a wide definition makes the book highly relevant for most, if not all, therapists working with psychological suffering.” —Niklas Törneke, MD, coauthor of Learning RFT and The ABCs of Human Behavior Trauma‑Focused ACT A Practitioner’s Guide to Working with Mind, Body & Emotion Using Acceptance & Commitment Therapy RUSS HARRIS C P ontext ress An Imprint of New Harbinger Publications, Inc. Publisher’s Note This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering psychological, finan- cial, legal, or other professional services. If expert assistance or counseling is needed, the services of a compe- tent professional should be sought. Distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books NEW HARBINGER PUBLICATIONS is a registered trademark of New Harbinger Publications, Inc. Copyright © 2021 by Russ Harris Context Press An imprint of New Harbinger Publications, Inc. 5674 Shattuck Avenue Oakland, CA 94609 www.newharbinger.com Cover design by Amy Daniel; Acquired by Catharine Meyers; Edited by Rona Bernstein; Indexed by James Minkin All Rights Reserved Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Harris, Russ, 1938- author. Title: Trauma-focused ACT : a practitioner’s guide to working with mind, body, and emotion using acceptance and commitment therapy / Russ Harris. Description: Oakland, CA : New Harbinger Publications, [2021] | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2021029333 | ISBN 9781684038213 (trade paperback) Subjects: LCSH: Acceptance and commitment therapy. | Psychotherapist and patient. | Post-traumatic stress disorder--Treatment. Classification: LCC RC489.A32 H375 2021 | DDC 616.89/1425--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021029333 Printed in the United States of America 23 22 21 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 First Printing To my beloved Natasha: my friend, my companion, my advisor, my supporter, my teacher, my mentor, my guide…and the absolute love of my life. So many times, I wanted to give up— but you kept me going. So many times, I was stuck—and you helped me out. Volim te zauvek.
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