Symbolism or deeper meaning of words and images used on therapy Southampton website:
Humming bird symbolism:
To open the heart to the love, lightness, playfulness and joy in life
Flexibility and lightness, adaptability resilience and freedom
Lightness of being, enjoyment of life, playfulness
Being more present
Independence
Lifting up negativity
Swiftness, ability to respond quickly
Resiliency being able to travel great distances tirelessly
Star symbolism:
Self reliance
Guidance, Navigation, to help guide us through life, connecting with what motivates us on our journey
Intuition
Illumination, clarity, inspiration, hope, renewal
Lotus flower symbolism:
Purity of body, speech and mind- spiritual awakening
Flowers float above the muddy waters of attachment and desire
Detachment as drops of water easily slide off petals
Rebirth
Butterfly symbolism:
The soul
Endurance, change, hope, life, renewal
Powerful personal transformation with grace and lightness
Metamorphosis in your life, personality
Lightness of being, playfulness, aliveness, brightness
Internal transformation- elevation from earthly matters. Tuning into emotional or spiritual guidance.
The world of the soul, psyche
What is ACT, how can it help me and how ACT differs from CBT. Conveyed via the symbols and words used.
The am of ACT is to help you live a rich, full and meaningful life. While effectively handling the pain which inevitably comes your way (The Happiness Trap). We humans are emotion lead. Emotions make things matter. Emotions will control thinking and behaviour as they are designed to do, unless we choose otherwise.
To accept, choose and take action (ACT).
3 steps:
Step 1. Learn how our automatic reactions -thoughts and feelings, create pain and suffering in our life
Step 2. Rather than trying to get rid of- (an automatic reaction) -painful thoughts and feelings we learn how to transform our relationship to them. We become more RESPONSE-ABLE.
Step 3. Instead of chasing happy thoughts and feelings we focus on creating a rich full and meaningful life.
Learn to foster and develop some distance from these internal experiences. Learn to observe them and you will witness, there exists within you, a safe, grounded centre. From this space energy movements within you, thoughts, feelings, sensations, have much less power over your actions and behaviour. Combined with a clearer sense of direction you wish to take your life and skills to handle the journey. This is ACT.
Psychological flexibility is the ability to flexibly relate to private experiences and behave in a manner which is responsive to the here and now (current circumstances) and consistent with ones values.
Psychological flexibility is comprised of 6 core processes or skills summarised:
Open, aware and engaged. We will learn and strengthen these skills together in our sessions.
ACT differs from CBT in its emphasis on altering how one relates to thoughts, feelings and other private events rather than attempting to change them (Hayes et al 2012)
The focus of ACT treatment is increasing flexible responding to the environment and living consistently with ones values- which is strongly associated with distress reduction (Cierrochi et al 2010)
Symbolism or deeper meaning of words:
Acceptance and Commitment training or therapy can help one move from depression, anxiety, stress. Towards: acceptance, courage, wisdom.
Acceptance- to take something to oneself. Consent to receive as adequate, valid or suitable. To take what is offered as if one chose it.
Courage- action in spite of ones fears. Denoting the heart as the seat of feelings (from the Latin cor- heart)
Wisdom- the application of knowledge, putting into action what we know.Having or showing experience, knowledge and good judgement. Wisdom = awareness
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. Courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference- Niebuhr
To accept, choose and take action (ACT).