A Liberated Mind

How to Pivot Toward What Matters

By: Steven C. Hayes PhD

Narrated by: Mark Deakins, Steven C. Hayes PhD

"In all my years studying personal growth, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is one of the most useful tools I've ever come across, and in this book, Dr. Hayes describes it with more depth and clarity than ever before." (Mark Manson, number one New York Times best-selling author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck)

Life is not a problem to be solved. ACT shows how we can live full and meaningful lives by embracing our vulnerability and turning toward what hurts.

In this landmark audiobook, the originator and pioneering researcher into Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) lays out the psychological flexibility skills that make it one of the most powerful approaches research has yet to offer. These skills have been shown to help even where other approaches have failed. Science shows that they are useful in virtually every area - mental health (anxiety, depression, substance abuse, eating disorders, PTSD); physical health (chronic pain, dealing with diabetes, facing cancer); social processes (relationship issues, prejudice, stigma, domestic violence); and performance (sports, business, diet, exercise).

How does psychological flexibility help? We struggle because the problem-solving mind tells us to run from what causes us fear and hurt. But we hurt where we care. If we run from a sense of vulnerability, we must also run from what we care about. By learning how to liberate ourselves, we can live with meaning and purpose, along with our pain when there is pain.

Although that is a simple idea, it resists our instincts and programming. The flexibility skills counter those ingrained tendencies. They include noticing our thoughts with curiosity, opening to our emotions, attending to what is in the present, learning the art of perspective taking, discovering our deepest values, and building habits based around what we deeply want.

Beginning with the epiphany Steven Hayes had during a panic attack, this audiobook is a powerful narrative of scientific discovery filled with moving stories as well as advice for how we can put flexibility skills to work immediately. Hayes shows how allowing ourselves to feel fully and think freely moves us toward commitment to what truly matters to us. Finally, we can live lives that reflect the qualities we choose.

©2019 Steven C. Hayes (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"In all my years studying personal growth, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is one of the most useful tools I've ever come across, and in this book, Dr. Hayes describes it with more depth and clarity than ever before." (Mark Manson, number one New York Times best-selling author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck)

"Steven Hayes possesses an extraordinary trifecta of skills: A brilliant theoretical and research psychologist, he’s also a compassionate clinician and a wonderfully engaging writer. A Liberated Mind is packed with jewels of insight and information that could change the way we deal with suffering as individuals and as a society. A compelling, revelatory read." (Martha Beck PhD, author of Finding Your Own North Star)

"Written for a very broad audience, Dr. Hayes is able to clearly translate the science and clinical complexity of this treatment into concrete guiding principles for people's lives. These principles not only apply to psychological suffering, but also to physical illnesses, relationships, corporations, societies, and cultures. The book is honest, compassionate, and profoundly insightful. It will transform your life by liberating your mind." (Stefan G. Hofmann, PhD, professor of psychology at Boston University)

Wonderful Toolkit for Everyone

I listened to this as I read through it the first time and then listened to it again on its own. It’s such a useful book. I can’t recommend it enough. Dr Hayes is great. The audio is great too. It’s well worth your tune and may change your life or someone’s life close to you.

See your yourself Objectively and Dynamically.

A great book on understanding how to be mindful. The ideas that we are dynamic and not simply our thoughts but a cornucopia of inputs (and outputs) such as emotion along with the five senses. See and recognize yourself dispassionately with this introduction to ACT therapy.

very informative

a very informative book about the use of act therapy. has many examples and techniques for implementing value-based behavior modification

Everything!

I been searching my whole life for the principles given here. This is only for those truly seeking transformation ❤️

Fantastic Book

On par with Dr Rosenberg's "Nonviolent Communication," and similarly, fantastically insightful.
The use of the scientific method to determine efficacy and drive further evolution of this method was shared throughout the book, and is a welcome addition to a historically subjective practice - therapy. I'm buying a hard-copy.

Enjoyed but

Enjoyed for the most part. i was definitely offended by the uae of the n* word

Thank You for this book

I don't know a single person whose life can't be improved through ACT, and laying it out so concisely was incredibly helpful for me personally. Thank you Stephen Hayes for this book

Brilliant

Just finished listening to the book and it was written with perfection. It was also read exceptionally well. I have been going through ACT with a therapist and it has been a profound experience and left me feeling both empowered and more compassionate than ever before. I cannot recommend this book enough. The message, lesson and comfort which Hayes has provided within the pages or hours of listening are invaluable. Anyone looking for answers in their life, or feeling debilitating anxiety or depression should look no further than this comprehensive and basic approach to finding that peace. Anyone who reads or listens to this book will experience life changing insights. Each of us deserves more from life and not to settle. Learning flexibility and to be able to accept are a sure way to get the most out of your life.

The most spiritual ACT book

I'm a big fan of CBT and all the third wave versions of it (Positive psychology, DBT, MBCT, and ACT). They all have their uses and no one is really any better than the others. If anything, the real solution is in letting each grow into it's own and then combining them back into one again. Parts of each are useful and parts of each aren't so useful. I think that's the same for everybody. Even if you find one that's bbest for you, there's still going to be pieces of others that could be added that will help you out. This is the most comprehensive and also the most spiritual of the ACT books out there. Some people will find that to be a good thing. Others will not. You can kind of listen to the slightly more religious stuff in the background and pay more attention to the science based stuff. There is a small amount of spirituality needed for ACT as mindfulness is a small part of it. I guess the best way to put it is this is the most comprehensive book on ACT out there and also the one most likely to turn some people off of a very useful tool. If you think a more basic approach is better for you, then try an older book on ACT. If you already have an older book on ACT, then don't expect a lot of new stuff.

A New Classic

Dr Hayes has summarizes the history of leading methodologies in our field and presents this information in a meaningful perspective. His work brings science and spirit together to provide the most effective methodologies.
His work is respected and is popping up in other fields including behavior analysis.
Dr Hayes is generous in sharing his methodologies as well as his research. It is exciting to find a resource for anxiety that I can use both professionally as well as personally.
Although I enjoyed the audio version, I will order the printed book for future reference.