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Non-Empirical Readings

The non-empirical literature on ACT / RFT (we are listing primarily ACT work here) is large. In order to make this list easy to update it is listed by year, but do note that this puts some of the important articles in the middle.

In Press

  • Wilson, K. G., & Sandoz, E. K. (in press). Mindfulness, values, and the therapeutic relationship in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. In S. F. Hick & T. Bein (Eds.), Mindfulness and the therapeutic relationship. New York: Guilford Press.

2008

  • Blackledge, J. T., Moran, D. J., & Ellis, A. E. (2008). Bridging the divide: Linking basic science to applied psychotherapeutic interventions - A relational frame theory account of cognitive disputation in rational emotive behavior therapy. Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy.

2007

  • Blackledge, J. T. (2007). Disrupting verbal processes: Cognitive defusion in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and other Mindfulness-based Psychotherapies. The Psychological Record, 57(4).
  • Chowla, N., & Ostafin, B. (2007). Experiential avoidance as a functional dimensional approach to psychopathology: An empirical review. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 63(9), 871–890.
  • Hayes, S. C., & Plumb, J. C. (2007). Mindfulness from the Bottom Up: Providing an Inductive Framework for Understanding Mindfulness Processes and their Application to Human Suffering. Psychological Inquiry, 18(4), 242-248.
  • Pierson, H., & Hayes, S. C. (2007). Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to empower the therapeutic relationship. In in P. Gilbert & R. Leahy (Eds.), The Therapeutic Relationship in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (pp. 205-228). London: Routledge
  • Twohig, M. P., Moran, D. J., & Hayes, S. C. (2007). A functional contextual account of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. In D. Woods & J. Kanter (Eds.), Understanding Behavior Disorders. Reno, NV: Context Press.
  • Twohig, M. P., & Hayes, S. C. (2007). Implications of verbal processes for childhood disorders: Tourette’s disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and autism. In D. Woods & J. Kanter (Eds.), Understanding Behavior Disorders. Reno, NV: Context Press.

2006

  • Bond, F. W., Hayes, S. C., & Barnes-Holmes, D. ( 2006). Psychological Flexibility, ACT and Organizational Behavior. In S. C. Hayes, F. W. Bond, D. Barnes-Holmes, & J. Austin (Eds.), Acceptance and Mindfulness at Work: Applying Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Relational Frame Theory to Organizational Behavior Management (pp. 25-54). Binghamton, NY: The Haworth Press.
  • Hayes, S. C. (2006). Language, self, and diversity. In J. C. Muran (Ed.), Dialogues on difference: Diversity studies of the therapeutic relationship. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
  • Roemer, L., Salters-Pedneault, K., & Orsillo, S. M. (2006). Incorporating mindfulness and acceptance-based strategies in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. In R. Baer (Ed.), Mindfulness-Based Treatment Approaches: Clinician's Guide to Evidence Base and Applications (pp 52-74). New York: Academic Press.
  • Shenk, C., Masuda, A., Bunting, K., & Hayes, S. C. (2006). The psychological processes underlying mindfulness: Exploring the link between Buddhism and modern contextual behavioral psychology. In D. K. Nauriyal (Ed.), Buddhist thought and applied psychology: Transcending the boundaries. London: Routledge-Curzon.
  • Walser, R. D., & Hayes, S. C. (2006). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and trauma survivors. In V. Follette (Ed.), Trauma in context: A cognitive behavioral approach to trauma, Second Ed. New York: Guilford Press.

2005

  • Bach, P. A., Gaudiano, B. A., Pankey, J., Herbert, J. D., & Hayes, S. C. (2005). Acceptance, mindfulness, values, and psychosis: Applying ACT to the chronically mentally ill. In R. Baer (Ed.), Mindfulness-based interventions: A clinician’s guide. San Diego: Elsevier.
  • Batten, S. V., Orsillo, S. M., & Walser, R. D. (2005). Acceptance and mindfulness-based approaches to the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder. In S. M. Orsillo & L. Roemer (Eds.), Acceptance and mindfulness-based approaches to anxiety: Conceptualization and treatment. New York: Springer.
  • Ciarrochi, J., Robb, H., & Godsell, C. (2005). Letting a little nonverbal air into the room: Insights from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: Part 1: Philosophical and theoretical underpinnings. Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 23, 79-106.
  • Ciarrochi, J., & Robb, H. (2005). Letting a little nonverbal air into the room: Insights from acceptance and commitment therapy: Part 2: Applications. Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive Behavior Therapy, 23(2), 107-130.
  • Dahl, J., & Lundgren, T. (2005). Behavior Analysis of Epilepsy: Conditioning mechanisms, be-havior technology and the contribution of ACT. The Behavior Analyst Today, 6(3), 191-202.
  • Fletcher, L., & Hayes, S. C. (2005). Relational Frame Theory, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and a functional analytic definition of mindfulness. Journal of Rational-Emotive and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, 23(4), 315-336.
  • Greco, L. A., Blackledge, J. T., Coyne, L. W., & Enreheich, J. (2005). Acceptance and mindfulness-based approaches for childhood anxiety disorders: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as an Example. In S. M. Orsillo & L. Roemer (Eds.), Acceptance and Mindfulness-Based Approaches to Anxiety: Conceptualization and Treatment. New York: Kluwer/Plenum.
  • Hayes, S. C. (2005). Stability and change in Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Considering the implications of ACT and RFT. Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 23(2), 131-151.
  • Orsillo, S. M., Roemer, L., & Holowka, D. (2005). Acceptance-based behavioral therapies for for anxiety: Using acceptance and mindfulness to enhance traditional cognitive-behavioral approaches. In S. M. Orsillo & L. Roemer (Eds.), Acceptance- and mindfulness-based approaches to anxiety: Conceptualization and treatment. New York: Springer
  • Twohig, M. P., Masuda, A., Varra, A. A., & Hayes, S. C. (2005). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a treatment for anxiety disorders. In S. M. Orsillo & L. Roemer (Eds.), Acceptance and mindfulness-based approaches to anxiety: Conceptualization and treatment (pp. 101-130). New York: Kluwer/Springer-Verlag.
  • Twohig, M., Pierson, H. M., & Hayes, S. C. (2005). Homework in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Chapter to appear in Kazantzis, N. & L'Abate, L. (Eds.), Handbook of homework assignments in psychotherapy: Research, practice, and prevention. New York: Springer.
  • Zettle, R. D. (2005). The evolution of a contextual approach to therapy: From Comprehensive Distancing to ACT. International Journal of Behavioral and Consultation Therapy, 1, 77-89.

2004

  • Blackledge, J. T. (2004). Functional Contextual Processes in Posttraumatic Stress. International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy, 4(3), 443-467.
  • Coyne, L. W., & Wilson, K. G. (2004). The role of cognitive fusion in impaired parenting: An RFT analysis. International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy, 4, 469-486.
  • Hayes, S. C. (2004). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and the new behavior therapies: Mindfulness, acceptance and relationship. In S. C. Hayes, V. M. Follette, & M. Linehan (Eds.), Mindfulness and acceptance: Expanding the cognitive behavioral tradition (pp. 1-29). New York: Guilford.
  • Hayes, S. C. (2004). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Relational Frame Theory, and the third wave of behavior therapy. Behavior Therapy, 35, 639-665.
    Makes the case that ACT is part of a larger shift in the behavioral and cognitive therapies toward more contextual approaches
  • Wilson, K. G. & Murrell, A. R. (2004). Values work in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: Setting a Course for Behavioral Treatment. In Hayes, S. C., Follette, V. M., & Linehan, M. (Eds.) Mindfulness & Acceptance: Expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition (pp. 120-151). New York: Guilford Press.

2003

  • Baer, R. A. (2003). Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: a conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, (10)2, 125-143.
  • Hayes, S. C., Masuda, A., & De Mey, H. (2003). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and the third wave of behavior therapy (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: een derde-generatie gedragstherapie). Gedragstherapie (Dutch Journal of Behavior Therapy), 2, 69-96.
  • Hayes, S. C., & Pankey, J. (2003). Psychological acceptance. In W. O'Donohue, J. Fisher, & S. C. Hayes (Eds.), Cognitive-behavior therapy: Applying empirically supported techniques in your practice (pp. 4-9). New York: Wiley.

2002

  • Bond, F. & Hayes, S. C. (2002). ACT at work. In F. Bond & W. Dryden (Eds.), Handbook of Brief Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. Chichester, England: Wiley.
    This chapter has a fairly complete treatment manual for the treatment of stress in the workplace using ACT. It was the manual for the study above.
  • Hayes, S. C., (2002). Buddhism and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 9, 58-66.
  • Hayes, S. C. (2002). Acceptance, mindfulness, and science. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 9 (1), 101-106.
  • Hayes, S. C., & Pankey, J. (2002). Experiential Avoidance, Cognitive Fusion, and an ACT Approach to Anorexia Nervosa. Response: ACT Approach to Anorexia. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 9, 243-247.
  • Zettle, R. D. & Hayes, S. C. (2002). Brief ACT treatment of depression. In F. Bond & W. Dryden (Eds.), Handbook of Brief Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (pp. 35-54). Chichester, England: Wiley.

2001

  • Follette, V. M., & Batten, S. V. (2000). The role of emotion in psychotherapy supervision: A contextual behavioral analysis. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 7(3), 306-312.
    Describes a contextual approach to psychotherapy supervision, using a model derived from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Functional Analytic Psychotherapy.
  • Follette, W. C. and Hayes, S. C. (2000). Contemporary behavior therapy. In C. R. Snyder and R. Ingram (Eds.), The handbook of psychological change (pp. 381-408). New York: Wiley.
  • Hayes, S. C. (2000). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in the treatment of experiential avoidance disorders. Clinician’s Research Digest (Supplemental Bulletin 22, June, 1-2).
  • Hayes, S. C. & Bissett, R. T. (2000). Behavioral psychotherapy and the rise of clinical behavior analysis. In J. A. Austin & J. E. Carr (Eds.), Handbook of applied behavior analysis (pp. 231-245). Reno: Context Press.
  • Hayes, S. C. & Gregg, J. (2000). Functional contextualism and the self. In C. Muran (Ed.), Self-relations in the psychotherapy process (pp. 291-307). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
    Deals with the self issue.
  • Luciano, C. & Hayes, S. C. (2001). Treating experiential avoidance. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 1, 109-157.

2000

1999

  • Hayes, S. C., Wilson, K. G., & Gifford, E.V. (1999). Consciousness and private events. In B. Thyer (Ed.), The philosophical legacy of behaviorism (pp. 153-187). Lancaster, UK: Kluwer.
  • Wilson, K. G. & Blackledge, J. T. (1999). Recent Developments in the Behavioral Analysis of Language: Making Sense of Clinical Phenomena. In M. J. Dougher (Ed.), Clinical behavior analysis. Reno, NV: Context Press.

1998

  • Gifford, E. V. & Hayes, S. C. (1998). Functional contextualism: A pragmatic philosophy for behavioral science. In W. O’Donohue & R. Kitchener (Eds.), Handbook of behaviorism (pp. 285-327). New York: Academic Press.
  • Hayes, S. C., Gregg J., Wulfert, E. (1998). Akzeptanz- und commitment- therapie: ein radikal behavioraler ansatz. In Sulz, Serge K. D. (Ed.), Kurz psychotherapien: Wege in die zunkunft der psychotherapie. (pp.145-162) CIP-Medien: München, Germany.
  • Walser, R. D. & Hayes, S. C. (1998). Acceptance and trauma survivors: Applied issues and problems. In V. Follette, J. Ruzak, & F. Abueg (Eds.), Trauma in context: A cognitive behavioral approach to trauma (pp. 256-277). New York: Guilford Press.

1997

  • Hayes, S. C., & Ju, W. (1997). The applied implications of rule-governed behavior. Chapter in W. O’Donohue (Ed.), Learning and behavior therapy (pp. 374-391). New York: Allyn & Bacon.
  • Robinson, P. & Hayes, S. C. (1997). Acceptance and commitment: A model for integration. In N. A. Cummings, J. L. Cummings, & J. N. Johnson. (Eds.), Behavioral health in primary care: A guide for clinical integration (pp. 177-203). Madison, CT: Psychosocial Press.

1996

1995

  • Hayes, S. C., & Wilson, K. G. (1995). The role of cognition in complex human behavior: A contextualistic perspective. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 26, 241-248.

1994

  • Hayes, S. C. (1994). Content, context, and the types of psychological acceptance. Chapter in Hayes, S. C., Jacobson, N. S., Follette, V. M. & Dougher, M. J. (Eds.), Acceptance and change: Content and context in psychotherapy (pp. 13-32). Reno, NV: Context Press.
  • Hayes, S. C. & Wilson, K.G. (1994). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: Altering the verbal support for experiential avoidance. The Behavior Analyst, 17, 289-303.
    An entry into ACT and its implications … but the ACT book is now better.

1993

  • Hayes, S. C. (1993). Rule governance: basic behavioral research and applied implications. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2, 193-197.
  • Hayes, S. C., & Wilson, K. G. (1993). Some applied implications of a contemporary behavior-analytic account of verbal events. The Behavior Analyst, 16, 283-301. An entry into RFT and its implications … but the RFT book is now better.

1992

  • Hayes, S. C. (1992). Verbal relations, time, and suicide. In S. C. Hayes & L. J. Hayes (Eds.), Understanding verbal relations (pp. 109-118). Reno, NV: Context Press.
    More basic but another early paper putting together RFT and the theory of psychopathology that underlies ACT

1990 and earlier

  • Hayes, S. C., Kohlenberg, B. S. & Melancon, S. M. (1989). Avoiding and altering rule-control as a strategy of clinical intervention. In S. C. Hayes (Ed.), Rule governed behavior: Cognition, contingencies, and instructional control. (pp. 359-385). New York: Plenum.
    The first paper to try to put together RFT and ACT
  • Hayes, S. C. & Melancon, S. M. (1989). Comprehensive distancing, paradox, and the treatment of emotional avoidance. In M. Ascher (Ed.), Paradoxical procedures in psychotherapy (pp. 184-218). New York: Guilford.
    An early ACT chapter
  • Hayes, S. C. (1987). A contextual approach to therapeutic change. In N. Jacobson (Ed.), Psychotherapists in clinical practice: Cognitive and behavioral perspectives (pp. 327-387). New York: Guilford.
    The first full-length presentation of the ACT model (then known as "Comprehensive Distancing"
  • Hayes, S. C. (1984). Making sense of spirituality. Behaviorism, 12, 99-110.
    Sometimes it helps to see beginnings to understand what happens later. This odd little paper does that. It is a mix of philosophical moves and interests that is clearly on the way to ACT, RFT, deictic frames, a transcendent sense of self, defusion, mindfulness, contextual use of language, and other issues that are much clearer now. If you like the history of ideas and like ACT / RFT, this is a fun read.
  • Zettle, R. D., & Hayes, S. C. (1982). Rule governed behavior: A potential theoretical framework for cognitive behavior therapy. In P. C. Kendall (Ed.), Advances in cognitive behavioral research and therapy (pp. 73-118). New York: Academic.

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