ACT and CFT in a nutshell

[Stan Malicki]

Dear list,

I have recently posted a request for advice to the ACT listserv. As a response Dennis encouraged me to forward the message also to this list. I agree that the collaboration and networking is crucial for our efforts so I’m posting the message below.

----------

Dear list,

 

I will soon start recruitment to a new research team, which is going to be organized within our clinic at the Akershus University Hospital in Norway. The project we’re going to work on lies at an intersection of ACT and Compassion Focused Therapy. In the next weeks I will give a short presentation in our clinic for those who are potentially interested. However, the management of our clinic asked me to provide the candidates with two articles introducing both approaches (ACT and CFT). The papers should give a general idea of what these therapies are about. It should help the candidates to make a decision whether they want to apply or not. The candidates will be licensed clinical psychologists with a 6-year professional training at the university level and with 2-4 years of work experience in psychiatry.

 

I would like to ask you for a recommendation of articles that in your opinion gives a good overview of both approaches and may help clinicians to decide whether they want to join the team. Perhaps something that was useful to you, to your colleagues or to your supervisees.

 

I would appreciate any suggestion on the list or backchannel.

 

Thanks for help,

Kind regards

Stan

______________________________
Stanislaw Malicki
psykologspesialist

ACBS peer-reviewed ACT trainer

Akershus universitetssykehus HF
POLIKLINIKK JESSHEIM
1478 LØRENSKOG
Tlf: 02900 (fra innland - sentralbord)

Tlf: +47 915 02900 (fra utland - sentralbord)
Mobil: +47 4689 2842

Web: www.ahus.no 
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[Jason Luoma]

Hi Stan,

Should they be more practical "how to" articles or more about the research background? 

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[Stanislaw Malicki]

Well Jason, it’s a bit difficult question. I’m not sure what can make a clinician to choose a particular approach. Perhaps a combination of ”how to” with ”why”.

Best,

Stan

______________________________
Stanislaw Malicki
psykologspesialist

ACBS peer-reviewed ACT trainer

Akershus universitetssykehus HF
POLIKLINIKK JESSHEIM
1478 LØRENSKOG
Tlf: 02900 (fra innland - sentralbord)

Tlf: +47 915 02900 (fra utland - sentralbord)
Mobil: +47 4689 2842

Web: www.ahus.no 
P Tenk miljø – ikke skriv ut denne om det ikke er absolutt nødvendig!

[Jason Luoma]

My sense is that most papers rarely perform both functions -- reviewing the evidence and presenting a compelling description of the therapy. So maybe a meta analysis/review of each therapy and a clinical description of each therapy. You probably already have recent meta-analyses and Dennis suggested some good clinical descriptions of ACT. Not as sure what's the best review of the CFT evidence at this time...

[Paul Gilbert]

here you are a few things -- the review is a little premature in our view because we have quite a lot of studies in the pipeline that will be appearing in the next two years on evidence where we compare with other therapies. Nonetheless useful I think

 

Also be careful when you start to 'integrate/ concepts because they can be done in superficial ways such as taking flexibility ACT concepts and calling them 'compassion flexibility' -- there is little connection between them other than the word because they're based on very different processes. In CFT flexibility is related to parasympathetic system and its connection to frontal cortex and how they operate through care--based motivational systems.

 

If you want to utilise CFT it will help you to really understand the evolutionary basis of CFT particularly in motivational systems and how motivational systems organise your mind -- motivations are different values and will have an impact on your attention, the way you think, your behaviour and so on  -- this is why we use a lot of acting techniques so people can begin to explore what it's like to act from a different motivational base etc. we also focus a lot on inner conflict of emotions and motives

 

 

 

Professor Paul Gilbert, PhD., FBPsS, OBE

Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Mental Health Research Unit

Kingsway Hospital

Derby. DE22 3LZ

United Kingdom

Phone: 01332 623579

Fax: 01332 623576

Email: p.gi...@derby.ac.uk

http://www.derby.ac.uk/schools/fehs/research/mhru/

www.compassionatemind.co.uk

 

 

The Compassionate Mind Foundation’s 4th International Conference, The Relational Contexts of Compassion Focused Therapy, takes place on 21st–23rd October 2015 in Manchester.

For full programme details and how to book visit www.compassionatemind.co.uk

 

---

From: acbs-comp...@googlegroups.com [acbs-comp...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Jason Luoma [jbl...@gmail.com]
Sent: 13 August 2015 20:54
To: Stanislaw Malicki
Cc: Jason Luoma; ACBS Compassion SIG
Subject: Re: {ACBS Compassion SIG} ACT and CFT in a nutshell

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[Paul Gilbert]

One mistake here -- I should've said motivations are different to values --

 

Professor Paul Gilbert, PhD., FBPsS, OBE

Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Mental Health Research Unit

Kingsway Hospital

Derby. DE22 3LZ

United Kingdom

Phone: 01332 623579

Fax: 01332 623576

Email: p.gi...@derby.ac.uk

http://www.derby.ac.uk/schools/fehs/research/mhru/

www.compassionatemind.co.uk

 

 

The Compassionate Mind Foundation’s 4th International Conference, The Relational Contexts of Compassion Focused Therapy, takes place on 21st–23rd October 2015 in Manchester.

For full programme details and how to book visit www.compassionatemind.co.uk

 

---

From: acbs-comp...@googlegroups.com [acbs-comp...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Paul Gilbert [P.Gi...@derby.ac.uk]
Sent: 14 August 2015 06:40
To: Jason Luoma; Stanislaw Malicki
Cc: ACBS Compassion SIG
Subject: RE: {ACBS Compassion SIG} ACT and CFT in a nutshell

here you are a few things -- the review is a little premature in our view because we have quite a lot of studies in the pipeline that will be appearing in the next two years on evidence where we compare with other therapies. Nonetheless useful I think

 

Also be careful when you start to 'integrate/ concepts because they can be done in superficial ways such as taking flexibility ACT concepts and calling them 'compassion flexibility' -- there is little connection between them other than the word because they're based on very different processes. In CFT flexibility is related to parasympathetic system and its connection to frontal cortex and how they operate through care--based motivational systems.

 

If you want to utilise CFT it will help you to really understand the evolutionary basis of CFT particularly in motivational systems and how motivational systems organise your mind -- motivations are different values and will have an impact on your attention, the way you think, your behaviour and so on  -- this is why we use a lot of acting techniques so people can begin to explore what it's like to act from a different motivational base etc. we also focus a lot on inner conflict of emotions and motives

 

 

 

Professor Paul Gilbert, PhD., FBPsS, OBE

Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Mental Health Research Unit

Kingsway Hospital

Derby. DE22 3LZ

United Kingdom

Phone: 01332 623579

Fax: 01332 623576

Email: p.gi...@derby.ac.uk

http://www.derby.ac.uk/schools/fehs/research/mhru/

www.compassionatemind.co.uk

 

 

The Compassionate Mind Foundation’s 4th International Conference, The Relational Contexts of Compassion Focused Therapy, takes place on 21st–23rd October 2015 in Manchester.

[Stanislaw Malicki]

Thanks Paul for your answer, suggestions and materials.

 

Yes, I know that CFT and ACT have very different theoretical backgrounds. I’m definitely interested in diving deeper into the theoretical and empirical background of CFT, and in fact I’m doing so. In the past years e.g. I didn’t pay much attention to the research inspired by attachment theory. It seemed quite peripheral to my clinical and therapeutic interests. And it’s CFT that made me turn back to attachment research, although in a new context.

 

The term ”integration” often means technical eclecticism and it’s definitely not the kind of integration that I’m interested in.  The ”translation” of one theory in terms of another is also quite a frequent form of ”integration”, but I’m not sure if it can be done with ACT and CFT.

I hope that my work will just bring some answers that will lead to new questions and that this process will finally create a new theoretical landscape. At present, in clinical work, I see a possibility to address different aspects/dimensions of human functioning using strategies that originate from different scientific traditions. It’s not a technical eclecticism and it’s not a theoretical integration either. But may give good data for further work.

 

I’m definitely encouraged by having a chance to engage in discussions like this. 

Best regards,

Stan Malicki

[Paula Quintero]

Hello Stan, I am not quite sure that I am understanding well your request: if you are looking for two diferent papers (one for each approach) or the two approches in one. Taking into account this "The papers should give a general idea of what these therapies are about." there are two papers I am attaching that were really usuful for me as a good introduction to ACT. They include the description of the background, the tecniques and also some empirical findings. This are really known papers so maybe you have already considered them. I am also attaching a paper that is an update of the empirically supported status of ACT.

Hug,

Paula

[Thomas Holmes]

Hi all,

It is conceivable to think in terms of a theoretical integration as the two theories behind the different therapies complement each other. RFT’s focus is on language and cognition as based in basic learning principles, but does not have a theory of emotions, whereas CFT has the opposite, a theory of emotions without a particular theory of language and cognition. CFTs emphases how emotion and basic emotion and motivation systems push and shape attention and cognition. So what is needed is a framework for integrating both. Such a framework can be seen in the work of Jaak Panksepp, especially the part on two levels of circular causation (http://emotionresearcher.com/the-emotional-brain/panksepp/ ) between basic affect and conditioning and between conditioned learning and “higher level” “cognitive” slower regulation. This is not that different from some of the theories put out by Beck and co.

The emphasis on compassion in ACT needs to rely on something more basic as it cannot just be an arbitrary choice. One does not need to buy into Paanksepp’s idea of particular neuro-circuits for basic/ primary emotions to go along with this basic idea.

 

PS would it be possible to use from now on this email for me: thomas...@mail.mcgill.ca.

Thanks

Tom

 

 

From: acbs-comp...@googlegroups.com [mailto:acbs-comp...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Paula Quintero
Sent: 17 août 2015 22:26
To: ACBS Compassion SIG
Subject: Re: {ACBS Compassion SIG} ACT and CFT in a nutshell

 

Hello Stan, I am not quite sure that I am understanding well your request: if you are looking for two diferent papers (one for each approach) or the two approches in one. Taking into account this "The papers should give a general idea of what these therapies are about." there are two papers I am attaching that were really usuful for me as a good introduction to ACT. They include the description of the background, the tecniques and also some empirical findings. This are really known papers so maybe you have already considered them. I am also attaching a paper that is an update of the empirically supported status of ACT.

Hug,

Paula

 

2015-08-17 19:12 GMT-03:00 Stanislaw Malicki <stan.m...@gmail.com>:

Thanks Paul for your answer, suggestions and materials.

 

Yes, I know that CFT and ACT have very different theoretical backgrounds. I’m definitely interested in diving deeper into the theoretical and empirical background of CFT, and in fact I’m doing so. In the past years e.g. I didn’t pay much attention to the research inspired by attachment theory. It seemed quite peripheral to my clinical and therapeutic interests. And it’s CFT that made me turn back to attachment research, although in a new context.

 

The term ”integration” often means technical eclecticism and it’s definitely not the kind of integration that I’m interested in.  The ”translation” of one theory in terms of another is also quite a frequent form of ”integration”, but I’m not sure if it can be done with ACT and CFT.

I hope that my work will just bring some answers that will lead to new questions and that this process will finally create a new theoretical landscape. At present, in clinical work, I see a possibility to address different aspects/dimensions of human functioning using strategies that originate from different scientific traditions. It’s not a technical eclecticism and it’s not a theoretical integration either. But may give good data for further work.

 

I’m definitely encouraged by having a chance to engage in discussions like this. 

 

Best regards,

Stan Malicki

2015-08-14 8:02 GMT+02:00 Paul Gilbert <P.Gi...@derby.ac.uk>:

One mistake here -- I should've said motivations are different to values --

 

Professor Paul Gilbert, PhD., FBPsS, OBE

Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Mental Health Research Unit

Kingsway Hospital

Derby. DE22 3LZ

United Kingdom

Phone: 01332 623579

Fax: 01332 623576

Email: p.gi...@derby.ac.uk

http://www.derby.ac.uk/schools/fehs/research/mhru/

www.compassionatemind.co.uk

 

 

The Compassionate Mind Foundation’s 4th International Conference, The Relational Contexts of Compassion Focused Therapy, takes place on 21st–23rd October 2015 in Manchester.

 www.compassionatemind.co.uk

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[Kelly Gene Wilson]

Seems to me that there are two issues at stake….well, many more, but two that are prompted by Tom’s response.

First, talking from an EVOS perspective…what kind of critter are we? Here we can look for evolutionary adaptations at multiple levels, of course including evolved neurophysiology.

But a second interesting one for me was prompted by Tom’s sentence 

The emphasis on compassion in ACT needs to rely on something more basic as it cannot just be an arbitrary choice. 

I do not think Tom would likely disagree, but although it is certain, to my way of thinking, that it ought not be merely choice, that way of viewing compassion is worthy of examining compassion as a choice.

Imagine a couple thought experiments:

1. I tell people that they are biologically wired for this. 

2. I tell people that they can choose it.

3. I tell people that they are wired for it, but can make many choices that run hard against the ways evolution wired them. Of course, running against evolutionarily established stuff has consequences, but one cannot evaluate those consequences, except within some set of chosen values.

I do not mean to suggest that Tom is meaning 1. At all. I know him to be a very thoughtful guy. 

It seems to me that this last has scenario presents many interesting experimental questions as well as the gathering of other sorts of evidence. 

Unpacking the adaptations.

Unpacking choosing contrary to adaptation…

what consequences? including magnitude and type at multiple levels, biological consequences, psychological, and social consequences 

if there are consequences, suffer them in the service of what?

What is the impact of choosing compassion absent aversive control?

What are the circumstances that promote/demote the choice? 

As to the reciprocal interaction of variables…nothing I know in science leads me to imagine otherwise. Choosing independent variables is a practical matter IMO. Which can we get our hands on to examine influence.

All that said, it is a little depressing to me that the takeaway message at the end of the linked article is that if we understand these systems we can generate pharmacological interventions. Paanskepp may not mean that these psychological problems arise from these systems being broken or out of balance, but this certainly plays well to that narrative. 

Heaven save us from the monoamine hypothesis of depression 2.0.

Although this neurobiology is important, the last thing we need is another pharmacological cudgel to trick a dis-regulated neurological system into “thinking” everything is OK by goosing play molecules. No way will big pharma wait for, and/or look for the downstream consequences of such tinkering. Just like the very broad class of anti-depressant meds, we will have to wait decades, at untold cost, to see the outcomes….and here I mean both the outcomes of the tinkering and also the social and psychological outcomes of selling that story.

warmest regards,

kelly

Kelly G. Wilson

Professor of Psychology
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University of Mississippi
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