One of the most common questions that comes up in ACT training is: “How do I help a client defuse from a thought when that thought is true?”
Many practitioners and clients operate on the assumption that defusion is a technique for dealing with distorted, irrational, or factually inaccurate thoughts. Under this view, if a thought is true, there is nothing to defuse from. The implication is that defusion only applies when we can cast doubt on the content of a thought. This guide addresses that misunderstanding directly. It focuses specifically on working with thoughts that are factually accurate but still causing significant psychological problems.
Download defusion from true thoughtsDefusion from true thoughts
This short guide has been created for ACT-trained practitioners working with clients who are struggling with thoughts that are factually true but psychologically overwhelming. It covers the following:
- The misconception: Is defusion only for false thoughts?
- What fusion with a true thought actually looks like
- What defusion is actually doing
- Effective and ineffective responses to true thoughts
- Clean pain and dirty pain
- A 10-step practitioner guide to defusing from thoughts that are true