Why ACT and why SMACT?
Somewhere around 2008, I was introduced to the ACT model and found that it resonated so well with my experience I wanted to learn more. I had been working in the addiction treatment world in residential settings for 12 years, where we had so much creativity to weave many things together to reach our clients - we used mindfulness, behavioral activation, 12-Step recovery, motivational interviewing, CBT, spirituality, medication, group supports, arts and music and movement. Sometimes work in the residential programs felt like a mish-mash; other times it seemed like the most amazing patchwork as I watched people change over the course of treatment. Yet when folks would ask me to explain “how treatment works” I would struggle to describe what I witnessed without falling into jargon from various fields or from personal experiences.
I met Joel Guarna and started learning about ACT philosophy and approach and I found a language to describe and explain what I was witnessing and trying to support. I joined the peer supervision group, went to trainings and workshops, read books (and still read tons) and joined Joel’s study group. Eventually these circles turned into this strong community we call SMACT. Now, 16 years later, SMACT is a backbone support for my practice - an actual community of people who are curious, dedicated, gifted and open to learning more and more. And while we know that ACT is evolving and changing over time (and because no model is the answer for everything), I am thrilled to be in a community that supports on-going growth in my clinical and personal work.
So in ACT, we are encouraging psychological and behavioral flexibility through close attention to how the mind works with language, images, memory and imagination. With these subtle, internal “inside” shifts, people become more open to smaller “outside” behavior changes, and start to experiment with different ways of navigating their world. Since you’re reading this blog - I recommend a couple of places to start to explore this approach. Here are a few:
Go to an ACT training! Live, on line, whatever you are able to start with!
Buy (and read) one of the many ACT books
The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris (for the public and a great overview)
Mindfulness for Two by Kelly Wilson (for clinicians)
Join SMACT.me
