Acceptance and Commitment Therapy works with a series of 14 acceptance and commitment worksheets. Each worksheet contains eight statements that help the patient to find new meanings for their lives. The sixteen statements work together to form a personalized self-evaluation.
Statements are commonly drawn from various parts of the self. A list of a hundred words or phrases can be used to create a list of sixteen statements. The statement should represent your personal world and it must make sense to you. If it does not make sense, do not use it.
Positive statements should be statements that are constantly in the minds of every patient. For example, “I am young, healthy, well-connected, and creative.” A statement should have the ability to create and sustain new connections in the mind.
Response statements are negative statements that are purposely made to cause a reaction in the patient. Statements can be as simple as “I am angry and not interested in learning anything else.” It is important to find these response statements to be effective in therapy. A simple positive statement will not elicit the kind of reaction necessary to make a statement effective.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy works by making the statements directly applicable to the patient. When they speak, they must believe the statements. With the help of the worksheets, a therapist can find the statements that fit the beliefs of the patient. Once the therapist finds a statement that fits the beliefs of the patient, it is time to work on the next step of therapy.
The step of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy work with the statements and list the statements in sequential order in a circle. They talk about the truth of each statement and then circle it. The next step is to write the circle on the worksheet and draw a line through each point.
A circle represents a continuous flow of the healing energy between the therapist and the patient. Once the circles are completed, the client is ready to move to the next step of the therapy. The steps will vary with each person. For example, a patient might require a larger circle than another person. This could be because of the beliefs of the individual or just because they are stronger than the other person.
After the first circle is completed, it is time to add the positive words to the circle. The therapist will take notes of the words and the points of the circle that circle represents. The therapist will try to put the therapist’s beliefs onto the circle. The circle should be working with the patient and it should be working with the circle to create a meaningful life for the patient.
