Ciarrochi, J., Billich, L., & Godsell, C. (2010). Psychological flexibility as a mechanism of change in acceptance and commitment therapy. In R. Baer (Ed.), Assessing mindfulness and acceptance processes in clients: Illuminating the theory and practice of change (pp. 51-75). Oakland, CA: Context Press/New Harbinger Publications.
This chapter focuses on processes of change in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). The goal is to examine the mediational evidence concerning why ACT works. The central mechanism of change in the ACT model is psychological flexibility, which includes six subprocesses. In this chapter we examine whether ACT works in the theoretically expected way, by increasing psychological flexibility. We also examine whether the processes elicited in ACT are distinctive from other therapies.