CNC Dialogues - Steven Hayes & Aldrich Chan: ACT and Process

Steven C. Hayes is a Nevada Foundation Professor at the Department of Psychology at the University of Nevada. He is best known for developing Relational Frame Theory, and guiding its extension to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a popular evidence-based form of psychotherapy that uses mindfulness, acceptance, and values-based methods. He is the author of 47 books and over 675 scientific articles, his career has focused on an analysis of the nature of human language and cognition and the application of this to the understanding towards the alleviation of human suffering. Dr. Hayes has been President of APA divisions 25 (Applied and Preventive Psychology), as well as president of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, and the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. Google Scholar data ranks him among the top 935 highest impact living scholars worldwide in all areas of study and Research.com lists him as the 63rd highest impact psychologist in the world. In todays discussion we take a deep dive into the foundations of ACT, and subsequently, new developments, such as its integration into process based therapy and the extended evolutionary meta-model. We then explore some of its core sub processes, such as defusion, acceptance, and values. We further discuss their relationship with trauma and addictions. Many other topics are talked about throughout, before ending on rapid fire questions providing a new angle unto who Steven Hayes is as a person. Feel free to skip around if any of these topics speak to you! Website: drchancnc.com https://stevenchayes.com/ Books: Reassembling Models of Reality: https://a.co/d/7VFzUJ4 A Liberated Mind: https://a.co/d/51pa1rc Shout out to video editor and creative director: Sten Garcia for assisting with some visual edits and audio shifts. His website is here: https://www.thebricklayeragency.com/ Time Stamps 0:00 Introduction 1:57 ACT science progress 2:33 Relational Frame Theory 13:53 Multi-level selection 15:55 Dark side of Mindfulness 20:34 Functional contextualism 28:45 Process 39:52 Future of Research 44:21 Cognitive Defusion 52:22 Defusion vs Dissociation 54:55 EEM and Cognitive Reappraisal 58:36 Acceptance vs Acquiescence 01:05:10 Trauma 01:10:42 Addiction and habits 01:15:35 Values 01:24:44 Rapid Fire Questions