Combining Cognitive Therapy with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for depression: A manualized group therapy

Cognitive Therapy (CT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) have different philosophical tenets. CT targets the form and frequency of mental experiences, whereas ACT focuses on the context of thoughts and feelings. Integrating both approaches in a single therapy may prove beneficial because clients are offered greater flexibility and a vaster repertoire of strategies. In the combined therapy, we offer clients guidelines that explain when change-oriented techniques (e.g., cognitive restructuring) may be more effective and when acceptance techniques (e.g., defusion) may be more effective. This combined treatment may be advantageous for clients with depression who have not experienced symptom relief with traditional therapeutic modalities as they will have varied tools from different treatment frameworks to manage their challenges. This paper describes the development of a manualized group therapy that integrates CT and ACT for depression. Two case studies will be provided to illustrate the application of the manual.