{"id":110,"date":"2023-05-11T18:30:36","date_gmt":"2023-05-11T22:30:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/strengthinunity\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=110"},"modified":"2024-03-19T12:25:06","modified_gmt":"2024-03-19T16:25:06","slug":"act-is-also-a-mindfulness-based-therapy","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/strengthinunity\/chapter\/act-is-also-a-mindfulness-based-therapy\/","title":{"raw":"ACT is also a mindfulness-based therapy","rendered":"ACT is also a mindfulness-based therapy"},"content":{"raw":"As described above, RFT enables ACT researchers and clinicians to gain a critical understanding on how language and cognition are implicated in human psychological suffering. However, the focus of ACT is not solely on research or problem identification related to psychological inflexibility or suffering. ACT is also a science-based psychotherapeutic intervention that integrates mindfulness into change processes that promote psychological flexibility and wellbeing.\r\n<h1>What is mindfulness<\/h1>\r\nMindfulness is a practice that has existed across different cultures, especially in Asia, as a spiritual practice (not necessarily religious) for thousands of years. In Western societies, mindfulness has become popular since the 1970s and is often adopted as a psychological intervention to address health challenges and promote health. However, within the Western science paradigms, there is still not an agreed upon definition of mindfulness. The following definitions of mindfulness may be useful in supporting our understanding of ACT mindfulness-based processes.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Thich Nhat Hanh[footnote]Thich Nhat Hanh is a renowned Vietnamese Zen master, poet, and founder of the Engaged Buddhism movement. He was nominated by Martin Luther King Jr. for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967.[\/footnote] (2008): \u201cI define mindfulness as the practice of being fully present and alive, body and mind united. Mindfulness is the energy that helps us to know what is going on in the present moment\u2026 Mindfulness brings concentration. When we drink water mindfully, we concentrate on drinking. If we are concentrated, life is deep, and we have more joy and stability. We can drive mindfully, we can cut carrots mindfully, we can shower mindfully. When we do things this way, concentration grows. When concentration grows, we gain insight into our lives.\u201d<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Jon Kabat-Zinn (1994) defines mindfulness as \u201cpaying attention in a particular way: on purpose in the present moment, and non-judgmentally\u201d (p. 4).<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Sona Dimidjian[footnote]Sona Dimidjian is Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Colorado Boulder and author of Behavioral activation for depression: A clinician\u2019s guide.[\/footnote] and Marsha M. Linehan[footnote]Marsha M. Linehan is the Director of the Behavioral Research and Therapy Clinics, and the creator of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which combines behavioural science with Buddhist concepts such as acceptance and mindfulness.[\/footnote] (2003) conceptualize mindfulness as a set of skills that are \u201cthe intentional process of observing, describing, and participating in reality nonjudgmentally, in the moment, and with effectiveness\u201d (p. 230).<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Ellen Langer[footnote]Ellen Langer is a social psychologist and the author of many books, including Mindfulness; The Power of Mindful Learning; and Counterclockwise: Mindful Health and the Power of Possibility.[\/footnote] (2000) defines mindfulness as \u201ca flexible state of mind in which we are actively engaged in the present, noticing new things and sensitive to context,\u201d which she distinguishes from mindlessness, when we \u201cact according to the sense our behavior made in the past, rather than the present ... we are stuck in a single, rigid perspective and we are oblivious to alternative ways of knowing\u201d (p. 220).<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Bishop et al. (2004) developed an operationalized definition of mindfulness that consists of two parts: (1) \u201cthe self-regulation of attention so that it is maintained on immediate experience, thereby allowing for increased recognition of mental events in the present moment\u201d and (2) \u201ca particular orientation toward one\u2019s experiences in the present moment, an orientation that is characterized by curiosity, openness, and acceptance\u201d (p. 232)<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<strong>See full reference on p. 116. <\/strong>","rendered":"<p>As described above, RFT enables ACT researchers and clinicians to gain a critical understanding on how language and cognition are implicated in human psychological suffering. However, the focus of ACT is not solely on research or problem identification related to psychological inflexibility or suffering. ACT is also a science-based psychotherapeutic intervention that integrates mindfulness into change processes that promote psychological flexibility and wellbeing.<\/p>\n<h1>What is mindfulness<\/h1>\n<p>Mindfulness is a practice that has existed across different cultures, especially in Asia, as a spiritual practice (not necessarily religious) for thousands of years. In Western societies, mindfulness has become popular since the 1970s and is often adopted as a psychological intervention to address health challenges and promote health. However, within the Western science paradigms, there is still not an agreed upon definition of mindfulness. The following definitions of mindfulness may be useful in supporting our understanding of ACT mindfulness-based processes.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Thich Nhat Hanh<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Thich Nhat Hanh is a renowned Vietnamese Zen master, poet, and founder of the Engaged Buddhism movement. He was nominated by Martin Luther King Jr. for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967.\" id=\"return-footnote-110-1\" href=\"#footnote-110-1\" aria-label=\"Footnote 1\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[1]<\/sup><\/a> (2008): \u201cI define mindfulness as the practice of being fully present and alive, body and mind united. Mindfulness is the energy that helps us to know what is going on in the present moment\u2026 Mindfulness brings concentration. When we drink water mindfully, we concentrate on drinking. If we are concentrated, life is deep, and we have more joy and stability. We can drive mindfully, we can cut carrots mindfully, we can shower mindfully. When we do things this way, concentration grows. When concentration grows, we gain insight into our lives.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Jon Kabat-Zinn (1994) defines mindfulness as \u201cpaying attention in a particular way: on purpose in the present moment, and non-judgmentally\u201d (p. 4).<\/li>\n<li>Sona Dimidjian<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Sona Dimidjian is Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Colorado Boulder and author of Behavioral activation for depression: A clinician\u2019s guide.\" id=\"return-footnote-110-2\" href=\"#footnote-110-2\" aria-label=\"Footnote 2\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[2]<\/sup><\/a> and Marsha M. Linehan<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Marsha M. Linehan is the Director of the Behavioral Research and Therapy Clinics, and the creator of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which combines behavioural science with Buddhist concepts such as acceptance and mindfulness.\" id=\"return-footnote-110-3\" href=\"#footnote-110-3\" aria-label=\"Footnote 3\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[3]<\/sup><\/a> (2003) conceptualize mindfulness as a set of skills that are \u201cthe intentional process of observing, describing, and participating in reality nonjudgmentally, in the moment, and with effectiveness\u201d (p. 230).<\/li>\n<li>Ellen Langer<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Ellen Langer is a social psychologist and the author of many books, including Mindfulness; The Power of Mindful Learning; and Counterclockwise: Mindful Health and the Power of Possibility.\" id=\"return-footnote-110-4\" href=\"#footnote-110-4\" aria-label=\"Footnote 4\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[4]<\/sup><\/a> (2000) defines mindfulness as \u201ca flexible state of mind in which we are actively engaged in the present, noticing new things and sensitive to context,\u201d which she distinguishes from mindlessness, when we \u201cact according to the sense our behavior made in the past, rather than the present &#8230; we are stuck in a single, rigid perspective and we are oblivious to alternative ways of knowing\u201d (p. 220).<\/li>\n<li>Bishop et al. (2004) developed an operationalized definition of mindfulness that consists of two parts: (1) \u201cthe self-regulation of attention so that it is maintained on immediate experience, thereby allowing for increased recognition of mental events in the present moment\u201d and (2) \u201ca particular orientation toward one\u2019s experiences in the present moment, an orientation that is characterized by curiosity, openness, and acceptance\u201d (p. 232)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>See full reference on p. 116. <\/strong><\/p>\n<hr class=\"before-footnotes clear\" \/><div class=\"footnotes\"><ol><li id=\"footnote-110-1\">Thich Nhat Hanh is a renowned Vietnamese Zen master, poet, and founder of the Engaged Buddhism movement. He was nominated by Martin Luther King Jr. for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967. <a href=\"#return-footnote-110-1\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 1\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-110-2\">Sona Dimidjian is Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Colorado Boulder and author of Behavioral activation for depression: A clinician\u2019s guide. <a href=\"#return-footnote-110-2\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 2\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-110-3\">Marsha M. Linehan is the Director of the Behavioral Research and Therapy Clinics, and the creator of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which combines behavioural science with Buddhist concepts such as acceptance and mindfulness. <a href=\"#return-footnote-110-3\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 3\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-110-4\">Ellen Langer is a social psychologist and the author of many books, including Mindfulness; The Power of Mindful Learning; and Counterclockwise: Mindful Health and the Power of Possibility. <a href=\"#return-footnote-110-4\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 4\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div>","protected":false},"author":486,"menu_order":3,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-110","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":91,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/strengthinunity\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/110","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/strengthinunity\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/strengthinunity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/strengthinunity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/486"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/strengthinunity\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/110\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":495,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/strengthinunity\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/110\/revisions\/495"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/strengthinunity\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/91"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/strengthinunity\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/110\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/strengthinunity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=110"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/strengthinunity\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=110"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/strengthinunity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=110"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/strengthinunity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=110"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}