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Psychological Flexibility
Time to Act
Introductie van ACT
ACT staat voor Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, een nieuwe vorm van gedragstherapie. Binnen ACT leren cliënten om het zinloze gevecht met vervelende gedachten, emoties en lichamelijke sensaties te staken. Hierdoor zijn cliënten in staat om hun aandacht te richten op de dingen die ze werkelijk belangrijk vinden in het leven, hun waarden. De kern van ACT is de filosofie dat het vechten tegen onvermijdelijke omstandigheden uiteindelijk ten koste gaat van een vitaal en waardevol leven.
Psychologische Flexibiliteit
De focus van ACT ligt op het vergroten van de psychologische flexibiliteit, die gebaseerd is op zes zuilen: Mindfulness, Acceptatie, Zelf als context, Defusie, Waarden en Toegewijde actie.
Hierboven zie je het ACT-model weergegeven: het ACT-hexaflex. Het ACT-hexaflex illustreert mooi hoe alle ACT-processen met elkaar in verband staan en samen psychologische flexibiliteit vormen.
Betekenis van deze zuilen in het kort:
Acceptatie: Het actief uitnodigen van vervelende gedachten, gevoelens en omstandigheden.
Defusie: Loskomen van je gedachten, zodat deze je minder snel zullen raken.
Zelf als Context: Een andere, meer flexibele relatie met jezelf creëren.
Hier en Nu: In contact komen met het hier en nu.
Waarden: Ontdekken wat je werkelijk belangrijk vindt in het leven.
Toegewijd Handelen: Dingen gaan ondernemen op basis van je waarden.
Gezamenlijk zorgen de oefeningen en metaforen uit deze zes zuilen voor meer psychologische flexibiliteit. Hierdoor kun je beter omgaan met de uitdagingen van het leven en zul je sneller geneigd zijn om de dingen te doen die echt belangrijk voor je zijn. ACT bevordert een vrolijke, speelse levenshouding, waarbij alle angst en pijn die inherent zijn aan het leven op de koop toe worden genomen.
What is ACT therapy?
ACT is the abbreviation of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. ACT is a form of psychotherapy that can help with all kinds of psychological complaints or psychological problems. What does this therapy entail and how does it work?
What is ACT therapy: the definition of ACT
ACT is a form of behavioral therapy that helps clients to deal more flexibly with the challenges they encounter in themselves or in their lives. Acceptance is about realizing that some difficult things in yourself and in your life are simply there and that there is little point in continuing to resist them. By resisting less, you create more energy that you can invest in what you really find important.
The goal of ACT is not for the psychological complaints of clients to disappear, but for complaints to determine your life and your own behavior less. Anxiety or depression do not have to disappear, but they should become less determining in your life. Commitment means psychological flexibility; being able to be faithful to what is important to you despite your limitations.
The 6 core processes of ACT
ACT consists in practice of six different core processes. These processes are:
1. Acceptance: making room for unpleasant experiences
2. Cognitive defusion: distancing yourself from thoughts
3. Self-as-context: dealing flexibly with your self-image
4. Mindfulness: paying attention to the here and now
5. Clarifying values: reflecting on what you really find important
6. Committed action: investing in your values
The effectiveness of ACT
ACT is suitable as a supplement to treatment programs in hospital care, general practitioner care and of course mental health care. You are probably wondering what the effectiveness of ACT is. In recent years, ACT has proven to be a recognized and effective treatment method for psychological, but also physical problems. Think of depression, anxiety and pain. ACT is even used for psychotic disorders, eating disorders, epilepsy, autism and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Top athletes, business people and celebrities also use ACT. It is a type of behavioral therapy that can help everyone.
What does the ACT program look like?
Knowing what ACT entails and that it is effective, there is one thing left: what does ACT look like? During the ACT sessions, you will talk to the therapist individually or in a group about what you find important in life. ACT focuses on the here and now. In addition to the conversations you have during the sessions, you will also be guided during attention and acceptance exercises and there is a good chance that you will be given assignments to take home. The exercises from the ACT program
ensure mental resilience. You are more able to let go of control and are more likely to do and think things that are important to you. In general, the average ACT treatment lasts 6 months. For milder complaints, this is a maximum of 6 weeks.
Register for ACT
Do you want to learn to deal with psychological or physical complaints in a different way? Register directly for ACT at Invivo Clinics and experience it for yourself. This is possible in individual sessions and group sessions. To receive more information about the ACT treatments first, you can contact us without obligation.
Invivo Clinics has also set up the ACT Academy. This is our center for ACT education and training. Here we provide training to mental health professionals, but coaches or other professionals are also very welcome. For example, do you work in the HR sector? Following a customized ACT training could be interesting for your employees.
When do you get a referral to a psychiatrist?
Posted on 1-11-2022
When do you get a referral to a psychiatrist? When do you get a referral to a psychiatrist? Engaging a mental health professional can be an exciting step. People with mental health issues often don't know where to start. Is a psychologist the right care provider or is it necessary to consult a psychiatrist? […]
When do you get a referral to a psychiatrist?
When do you get a referral to a psychiatrist? Engaging a mental health professional can be an exciting step. People with mental health issues often don't know where to start. Is a psychologist the right care provider or is it necessary to consult a psychiatrist? And when do you get a referral? Read on and we will explain when you will be referred to a psychiatrist.
Referral to a psychiatrist: what does a psychiatrist do? Mental health issues are not easy to define. What are my issues? Which healthcare provider is suitable for my situation? Where do I start? This is a selection of the types of questions that may come to mind. It is possible that you would like to be referred to a psychiatrist. But do you know what a psychiatrist does?
A psychiatrist is a doctor who has a degree in medicine. A psychiatrist treats patients with complex mental health issues. A psychiatrist is also authorized to prescribe medication because they are a doctor. They look at mental health issues from a medical perspective with a focus on the health of the body.
Referral to a psychiatrist: the steps
If you have psychological complaints and would like to be referred to a psychiatrist, there are various care providers you can visit. But how does this work? We will explain it using three steps:
1. The GP
The first step is to make an appointment with your own GP. This is a moment that is seen as a milestone for many. Calling in psychological help is not something to be taken lightly and it can cause someone a lot of anxiety, but also relief. You talk about your situation and the GP will determine which type of care is best suited to you. Are your psychological complaints mild? Then the GP will treat you in collaboration with the practice assistant. Does the GP think that he or she cannot help you sufficiently? Then you will receive a referral to a psychologist. If it turns out that the psychological complaints are so complex or that you are a risk to yourself or others, you will immediately receive a referral to a psychiatrist. 2. The (GZ) psychologist
People who have never received psychological help before usually first end up with a (GZ) psychologist. You discuss your psychological complaints in more detail than with the GP and the psychologist determines which treatment is necessary. The (GZ) psychologist can refer you to a psychotherapist. If the psychologist thinks it is necessary, you can be put in touch with a psychiatrist. This happens when the psychologist thinks that medication could help or when there is a crisis situation.
3. The psychiatrist
As we explained earlier, a psychiatrist is a specialized doctor who diagnoses and treats people with serious psychological complaints. They are allowed to prescribe medication. This is why a psychiatrist is often responsible for the medical aspect of a treatment. A psychiatrist informs and advises your GP about your psychological complaints.