Parkinson’s ACT
Starting from 11th April 2021
What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)?
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is a mindful approach to accepting the difficulties in life to improve one’s overall quality of living. It is a form of psychotherapy that helps people focus on the present and move forward from overwhelming, difficult emotionsand negative thoughts. It can help diffuse the impact of negative emotions and reshape your thinking to treat, anxiety, depression and other similar mental health disorders.ACT addresses your commitment to making changes and what to do when you can’t stick to your goals.
In ACT, you will learn to use mindfulness techniques to step back from your thoughts and feelings, let them be as they are, and connect with the present moment, so that you can re-engage with your life. You will work to clarify exactly what it is that you value in life, make plans to move in that direction, rather than waiting for your thoughts and feelings to be the way you want them before you can do the things you want to. It encourages you to start living the life that matters to you today.
How our ACT can help Parkinson’s?
As part of the Parkinson’s Mental Health Support Hub, we have developed the first ever Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a self–referral service which may be particularly beneficial for people who are newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s and those with YOPD.
ACT sessions are free and can take place via ZOOM or telephone and will last about 45 minutes. You will need to complete a self- referral form, which will require the disclosure of some personal information. Once accepted, your therapy will last for 4 weeks.
It can often feel like we are in a war with our thoughts and feelings, constantly trying to get rid of bad ones and have more good ones. ACT focuses on behavioural change. It invites you to pay less attention to negative thoughts and to focus more on improving your life. The therapy helps you to overcome your struggles with your thoughts and feelings and to shift your focus on taking action in order to move towards the life you want.
ACT works in three areas: accept the emotion and be mindful, choose a direction, and then act accordingly. Our trained therapists will guide and work with you through all three areas.
ACT is interactive and collaborative. Your therapist will work with you as an equal. They will ask you to do experiential exercises in sessions, using your own direct experience as a guide to where change is necessary and possible, for instance:
1. Letting feelings or thoughts happen without the impulse to act on them.
2. Observe your weaknesses but take note of your strengths.
3. Give yourself permission to not be good at everything.
4. Acknowledge the difficulties in your life without escaping from it or avoiding it.
5. Realise that you can be in control of how you react, think and feel.
This therapy may involve you filling in worksheets and practicing in between sessions the techniques that you have learned. All of which will lead to you to actually do things differently in your life.
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All of our services are provided free of charge, which is why we rely on your donations to keep them going. Our work is funded entirely by the generosity of the public and so please donate today.
