Session 1

Abstract

This chapter outlines how a first session of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) might go. This first session typically includes two components: (1) orienting clients to what to expect from therapy generally and ACT specifically, and (2) beginning work on creative hopelessness. Key points emphasized in this chapter are learning about clients’ perception of therapy, clarifying clients’ treatment goals, collaboratively setting therapeutic expectations, exploring the effects and effectiveness of trying to control thoughts and feelings, and introducing an alternative to controlling thoughts and feelings (willingness). This content sets the stage for concepts to be covered in Chapter 5.