This is a must-have book for anyone who practices, or is interested in, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Most people in the psychological community are familiar with the concept of cognitive defusion. This important practice rests on the premise that many of our thoughts, particularly self-evaluative thoughts (I’m not good enough, There’s something wrong with me, etc.), do not capture the full reality of a situation. Defusion techniques are used to undermine the authoritative nature of our thoughts, to expose them as simply words, rather than truths etched in stone. Designed for use by mental health professionals and graduate students, Cognitive Defusion In Practice clearly conceptualizes cognitive defusion—an integral aspect of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)—for accessible and practical reference. The book also provides comprehensive descriptions of a great variety of defusion techniques, and illustrates how and when to introduce defusion in therapy. This is a comprehensive, definitive, authoritative text on cognitive defusion: what it is, how to use it in session, and why it works. Because cognitive defusion is so effective, a great variety of defusion techniques are used in ACT to help clients gain greater psychological flexibility, but before now, there has not been a definitive resource available that outlines the practice in detail. This book will make a wonderful addition to your professional library, and will greatly enhance your delivery of ACT. Reviews: “Focus on defusion as a central change process is, in my opinion, the most important contribution of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to the field of psychotherapy in general. And here is a book that gives any therapist, accustomed to ACT or not, practical advice on how to help clients in this direction. Read and learn!”
-Niklas Törneke, MD, author of Learning RFT and coauthor of The ABCs of Human Behavior “Finally, a book that shows the practitioner how to use defusion in everyday practice. Defusion is perhaps one of the most powerful ingredients in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and one of the most misunderstood. When done well, defusion helps people to overcome unhelpful thinking patterns and direct their energy towards value-consistent living. When done poorly, defusion can be unpleasant and invalidating. Cognitive Defusion in Practice shows you how to implement defusion effectively, in a way that helps your clients to feel appreciated and to move through the unhelpful beliefs that seem to interfere with their life. The book includes many clear examples of how to use defusion flexibly, in the full flow of therapy. It is also clearly written and set in the context of evidence and the full ACT model. If you want to learn how to use defusion in a way that helps people to accept themselves and transform their lives, then this book is for you.”
-Joseph Ciarrochi, PhD, professor at the Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, and coauthor of The Weight Escape and Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life for Teens About the Author: John T. Blackledge, PhD, is associate professor in the department of psychology at Morehead State University in Morehead, KY, where he actively researches acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) with his students. He has authored over two dozen books, and book chapters on ACT and relational frame theory (RFT).
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