Rewriting Your Mental Narratives using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

In this episode, Wendy talks about a therapy called Act, which stands for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Wendy looks at some evidence-based ACT techniques and shares easy skills you can develop to diffuse yourself from unhelpful thoughts. Disclaimer - this is just an educational podcast. It's not a substitute for therapy. If you're struggling or in crisis, please reach out to your GP or your local mental health services. KEY TAKEAWAYS Some days are sunny, some days are stormy. ACT doesn't encourage you to try to control the weather. It teaches you how to deal with the weather. Using ACT helps you to keep going regardless of what happens, to keep walking towards the life you want. ACT is evidence-based. There are 6 basic ACT habits that can be used by anyone, regardless of their circumstances. Wendy explains how to develop and use each of them. Understand what truly matters to you, what your values are, what the meaning of your life is. Reframing a thought, changes your relationship with that thought and puts things in context. Use anchors to bring yourself back from bad thoughts. Wendy shares several, including how to use your breath. BEST MOMENTS “ACT helps you to make room for difficult thoughts and feelings but still focus on behaviours that are important to you.” “ACT is not about not feeling or damping down feelings…. It won't delete difficult feelings, but it can help you to struggle less and live more.” “You say, “Ah, here we go. I'm telling myself the imposter story”. And then the idea is that you say, “Thank you, mind. Now, I'm going to get back to what matters.” VALUABLE RESOURCES www.wendycastelino.com https://www.instagram.com/wendycastelino/ https://www.youtube.com/@wendycastelino798 https://twitter.com/WendyCastelino ABOUT THE HOST Wendy Castelino has been working as a psychotherapist for over thirty-five years. As an accredited CBT and EMDR practitioner, she is committed to upholding the rigorous standards required for these accreditations and helping thousands of people reach their full potential. Wendy currently runs a private practice where her focus is on CBT. Therapy is constantly evolving into developing new techniques, so she studies hard to integrate them into her therapy, to provide a rich and effective experience. Wendy is aware that working in one-to-one therapy limits the number of people she can see. She has, therefore, created a range of online resources. These resources are designed to be easy to follow and provide clear, step-by-step instructions. This can help the individual to master skills and gain confidence, therefore optimising the therapy sessions. They are also suitable to be used on their own. Further details are available at: WendyCastelino.com. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/