Defusion in ACT

Ingrid Wallace

Mindfulness is…

• An important part of defusing from thoughts

• Living in the present moment• Engaging fully in what you are

doing rather than “getting lost” in your thoughts

• Noticing as your feelings to come and go (without attempts to control them).

What is acceptance?

• Making room for unpleasant sensations, feelings, urges, thoughts, etc.

• Allowing them to come and go without trying to change them (not clinging on to them)

• Acceptance is NOT resignation or tolerance

• You don’t have to like something to accept it

Fusion: Harris, Act made simple, p.184

The Observer- Self The Conceptualized Self

All beliefs, thoughts, ideas, images, judgments, memories… about

who I am

Fig 1: Harris, Act made simple, p.184

• Person is fused with conceptualized self

• Fusion with positive self concept can lead to arrogance, narcissism, intolerance of others

• Fusion with negative self concept can lead to depression, anxiety, feelings of worthlessness

Defusion: Harris, Act made simple, p.185

The Conceptualized Self

All beliefs, thoughts, ideas,

images, judgments,

memories… about

who I am

The Observer- Self

Noticing/Observing(self as awareness)

Fig 2: Harris, Act made simple, p.185

• Thoughts still come up but hold less space

• Person is no longer clinging to her self-description/self-image/self-concept

Defusion: Harris, Act made simple, p.185

The Conceptualized Self

All beliefs, thoughts, ideas,

images, judgments,

memories… about

who I am

The Observer- Self

Noticing/Observing(self as awareness)

Fig 3: Harris, Act made simple, p.186

• Conceptualized self is recognized as a construction of thoughts

• Conceptualized self is not the essence of ‘who I am’