ACT Questions and Answers Quotes

“Shame-­prone clients can of course experience shame at any point in a session—­almost anything can trigger it. Even something as simple as asking the client if she’d like a glass of water can trigger her “I am undeserving” story. The therapist will become rigid if he tries to run the session based on the rule “This client must not experience shame during my session.” The main thing is for the therapist to be compassionate, respectful, caring, and validating. When shame appears in session, the therapist compassionately responds to it, unpacks it, and addresses it via noticing and naming it, dropping anchor (chapter 7), defusion, acceptance, and self-­compassion. It’s rich fuel for us to work with, not something to be avoided.”
― Russ Harris, ACT Questions and Answers: A Practitioner's Guide to 150 Common Sticking Points in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

“Therapists often ask me questions that begin with “Is it possible a client might react like this…” The answer to such questions is always yes. As the saying goes, “Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.” Sooner or later even our most tried and trusted interventions will backfire, fail miserably, or have the opposite results of those intended.
...Things can and will go wrong in therapy, and there’s no getting past it. But if we stay calm, respond compassionately, and model openness and curiosity, we can usually turn these happenings into positive learning experiences.”
― Russ Harris, ACT Questions and Answers: A Practitioner's Guide to 150 Common Sticking Points in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy