Establishment of the theory and operation of willing acceptance and commitment therapy / 中南大学学报(医学版)

ABSTRACT

Mindfulness-based psychotherapy, known as the third-wave cognitive behavior therapy, showed a multi-cultural integration trend. As part of it, willing acceptance and commitment therapy not only took root in the discoveries in the fields of evolutionary psychology and cognitive psychology, but also absorbed the concepts of psychotherapy from Chinese traditional culture. As a result, it regards truth and harmony as the essence of health, proposes a triangle model (health/pain-willing acceptance-striving) to elucidate the mechanism of psychopathology and psychotherapy in theory. Operationally, it contains four principles of psychotherapy, which are as follow "knowing yourself and others, reaction but adequately, reality as well as harmony, willing acceptance and striving". Furthermore, it proposes eight therapeutic procedures including "understand yourself, recognize suffering, check coping style, keep openness and acceptance, mindfulness and flexibility, live in the moment, clarify the value, and commit action". With these principles and procedures, willing acceptance and commitment therapy aims to fade the neural trace of patients' painful memories, improve their psychological flexibility and rebuild their lifestyles consistent with their values.