You don’t necessarily need to know emotional efficacy therapy (EET) to do ACT, but understanding EET can enhance your application of ACT, especially when working with clients who struggle with emotional regulation. Here’s why:
1. ACT addresses emotions broadly; EET addresses emotions in a specific, detailed and structured manner
- ACT helps clients change their relationship with emotions rather than teaching them specific emotional regulation skills.
- EET provides specific skills for engaging with emotions more effectively.
- If a client is overwhelmed by emotions, ACT’s acceptance strategies might feel too passive. EET can help by offering more structured emotion regulation tools before ACT techniques are fully effective.
2. Emotional awareness and regulation improve psychological flexibility
- One of ACT’s core processes is acceptance, which requires awareness and willingness to experience emotions.
- If clients lack emotional clarity (i.e., they don’t know what they’re feeling or how to handle it), ACT techniques might be harder to apply.
- EET helps clients recognise, decode and harness their emotions so they can become more psychologically flexible
3. ACT is about willingness, EET is about effective engagement
- ACT encourages clients to accept distress and commit to valued actions despite discomfort.
- EET teaches clients how to actively work with emotions so they feel more capable and effective.
- Combining both can help clients accept emotions (ACT) and work with them effectively (EET).
4. EET can serve as a bridge for emotionally avoidant clients
- Some clients may struggle with emotional avoidance, making ACT difficult if they are not yet aware of or open to their emotions.
- EET can help increase emotional awareness and tolerance, so ACT interventions are more impactful.
5. Enhanced skillset for therapists
- ACT doesn’t emphasise specific emotional regulation techniques beyond acceptance and defusion.
- EET provides a structured framework for therapists to help clients navigate emotions
while still aligning with ACT principles.
When would EET be helpful in an ACT framework?
- If a client has difficulty identifying or naming emotions → Use EET’s awareness and clarity techniques.
- If a client struggles with overwhelming emotions → Use EET’s regulation strategies before moving to ACT’s acceptance-based approach.
- if a client wants a more empowered way to engage rather than just “accepting” emotions → EET provides actionable strategies to “harness” emotions.
- If a client struggles with experiential avoidance → EET can help increase tolerance for emotions, making ACT techniques easier to apply.
Here are some additional differences and similarities between emotional efficacy therapy (EET) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to give you a more detailed understanding of how you can use EET or integrate this with ACT.
Similarities
- Mindfulness-based: both EET and ACT incorporate mindfulness techniques to help individuals observe and accept their emotions without becoming overwhelmed by them.
- Third-wave behavioural therapies: both are part of the third wave of CBT, focusing more on emotional experience, acceptance, and values rather than symptom reduction alone.
- Values-based action: both encourage individuals to live according to their values rather than being controlled by emotions or thoughts.
- Avoidance reduction: both emphasise reducing experiential avoidance (the tendency to suppress or escape from difficult thoughts and feelings).
- Non-judgmental approach: they teach people to observe emotions without labeling them as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ and instead view them as part of the human experience.
Differences
ACT
EET
Bottom line
You don’t need to know EET to do ACT, but integrating EET’s structured emotional engagement skills can make ACT more accessible and effective for clients struggling with emotional regulation and awareness.
Dr Aprilia West joins us this month for Introduction to emotional efficacy training. During this session Aprilia will introduce you to: the philosophical assumptions and principles for the EET model; basic psychoeducation on emotions; and, the 4 core emotional efficacy skills. You’ll also observe a professional demo of her working with clients using structured exposure-based practice. PLUS if you sign up to this course and Aprilia’s Internal family systems: flexible selfing and parts work at the same time you will save 20% off both courses fees!