Research Journey of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Nic Hooper is a Lecturer of Psychology at the University of the West of England (UWE), UK. He has published a number of empirical papers investigating ACT/RFT, he runs workshops in which the ACT model is used to manage stress / weight loss and he writes a popular blog (www.nichooper.com).Andreas Larsson is a licensed clinical psychologist at his private practice in Sweden. He additionally lectures and conducts research for Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm County Council, and also facilitates workshops in ACT/RFT for both the general public and professionals.Foreword by Steven C. Hayes

'This book is for you if you are new to ACT and don't want to read a stack of empirical papers, while wanting to be sure that the therapy is scientifically supported. It covers key psychological domains in which ACT outcomes have been evaluated. You may be interested, for example in depression but not anxiety. Both are in here, with many others. These chapters provide a compelling and yet readable account of the benefits of ACT in terms of clinical outcomes. The authors have done the work for you in searching thoroughly through the evidence and contextualising the findings in terms of leading researchers and related issues. All you have to do is to read it.' - Dr. Yvonne Barnes-Holmes PhD, Author of Derived Relational Responding Applications for Learners with Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities 'This book is an important chapter of a yet unfinished and larger book: The story of how a few simple ideas (yes, few and simple!) can impact a whole area of science. Read and stay updated! And as you read I am pretty sure you will expect more to come.' - Dr. Niklas Torneke M.D., Author of Learning RFT and co-author of ABCs of human behavior 'The ACT Research Journey is a book every ACT enthusiast will want to have on their shelf. The book provides an accessible and concise delivery of the burgeoning ACT research to date. It is both impressive and inspiring to see the breath of ACT research in one document. The researcher profiles provide great tips for future work from seminal researchers in key areas. An excellent contribution from bright academics in the ACT field.' - Dr. Louise McHugh PhD, Author of The Self and Perspective Taking 'For anyone interested in the wealth of research that has transformed ACT into an evidence-based psychotherapy, this book is well worth a read. Written in an engaging and accessible style, it takes you through the nuts and bolts of ACT research, introduces you to the researchers themselves, and explains the history of ACT and the science behind it.' - Dr Russ Harris, author of The Happiness Trap & ACT Made Simple 'Every researcher and clinician has biases. Digesting a comprehensive body of empirical work is the key to testing the assumptions that lead to those biases. This book is essential because the authors offer a road map for understanding what we know (and don't know) about Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. There has never been a more opportune situation to form a sound judgment on the available research until now. Be a skeptic. Think for yourself. The science speaks for itself.' - Dr. Todd B. Kashdan, professor of psychology at George Mason University, USA and author of The Upside of Your Dark Side: Why being your whole self - not just your 'good' self - drives success and fulfillment. 'Hooper and Larsson's new book, The Research Journey of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, provides me with something I have wanted for a very, very long time: a comprehensive summary of virtually all of ACT's published empirical research. But it does more than that. It describes ACT's historical context and how it fits in to the broader world of psychotherapy, and it describes where future research is headed .and it does it very well. If you are looking for a go-to resource that tells you where ACT comes from, how it's been used, how effective it's been, and where it's going, you've found it.' - Dr. J. T. Blackledge, author of Cognitive Defusion in Practice.

• Foreword; Steven C. HayesProloguePART I1. The Need2. The Three Waves3. The History of ACT4. Contextual Behavioural Science5. The Importance of Empirical ResearchPART II6. Depression7. Anxiety Disorders8. Serious Mental Illnesses9. Substance Abues10. Smoking Cessation11. Eating Behaviour12. Pain13. Other Health Conditions14. Work15. The ACT VarietyPART III16. The Statistics17. Conclusion