Aspects of exposure therapy in acceptance and commitment therapy

Abstract

Various aspects of exposure procedures can be found within Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), in which patients contact previously avoided stimuli with the goal of increasing psychological flexibility and moving towards chosen values. As such, exposure-like procedures within ACT share some characteristics with traditional exposure, yet place a different emphasis on stated goals and theory. This chapter examines the theoretical basis for this different emphasis and reviews the current empirical tests of various components of the theory. The chapter concludes by examining procedural considerations and discusses research needs.