Self-as-Context in Therapy: Help Your Clients Build a Flexible Self with Acceptance & Commitment Therapy

“Self-as-context is a central theoretical component of ACT. Beate Ebert has produced a brilliant text that brings psychology, metaphysics, and spirituality into your clinical practice. This book will make you a better clinician and might also help you understand yourself. I highly recommend it.” 
—Stefan G. Hofmann, PhD, Alexander von Humboldt Professor at Philipps University of Marburg, LOEWE Spitzenprofessor, and coauthor of Learning Process-Based Therapy

“Of all the concepts in ACT, self-as-context is perhaps the most difficult to grasp. Beate Ebert has succeeded in writing a text that both explores this process theoretically and gives practical direction on how to use it in psychotherapy. Well done!” 
 —Niklas Törneke, MD, psychiatrist, licensed psychotherapist, and author of Using Functional Analysis in Psychotherapy  

“When learning ACT, almost all practitioners struggle to understand the concept of self-as-context—and even more so, to apply it in useful therapeutic interventions. The good news is, in this well-written textbook, Beate Ebert takes you step-by-step through both the theory and clinical application of self-as-context, and the myriad ways you can use it to help both yourself and your clients live richer, fuller lives. I believe this to be the clearest and most practical text ever written on the topic of self-as-context. Highly recommended for all ACT practitioners of all levels—beginner, intermediate, or advanced.” 
—Russ Harris, MBBS, author of ACT Made Simple and The Happiness Trap 

“This is the book on self-as-context we’ve been waiting for! Beate brings rare clarity and compassion to one of acceptance and commitment therapy’s most elusive processes. With humility and wisdom, she shows how perspective taking is not a concept to grasp
but a presence to embody. A moving, practical, and essential guide for any therapist aiming to reach the heart of human suffering and healing.” 

—Louise McHugh, PhD, professor of psychology at University College Dublin, peer-reviewed ACT trainer, fellow of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS), and coauthor of A Contextual Behavioral Guide to the Self  
 
“Self-as-Context in Therapy fills a crucial gap in the ACT literature. By seamlessly weaving together real-life stories with core theoretical concepts, Beate provides an elegant and effortless pathway to greater well-being for our clients and ourselves. I learned a lot from reading this book—and you will too.” 
—Jennifer Kemp, MPsych, author of The ACT Workbook for Perfectionism and coauthor of The Neurodivergence Skills Workbook for Autism and ADHD 
 
“One of the least understood yet most important ACT processes has finally been elucidated, both conceptually and as an innovative set of interventions, in Self-as-Context in Therapy. In Beate Ebert’s new book, ACT therapists now have a clear road map to help clients enter and maintain awareness as the observer self.” 
—Matthew McKay, PhD, coauthor of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Interpersonal Problems and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Couples 

“Self-as-context remains one of ACT’s most challenging yet essential processes. This book brilliantly transforms a complex psychological concept into accessible, practical guidance. Ebert integrates developmental theory, RFT, and moving clinical stories to show how self-as-context supports every other ACT process. She extends applications from individual therapy to couples, groups, and societal issues, providing comprehensive clinical guidance with concrete interventions that transform abstract concepts into practical tools.” 
—Jenna LeJeune, PhD, psychologist, president of Portland Psychotherapy Clinic, Research, and Training Center, and coauthor of Values in Therapy 

“Self-as-context is a process and skill that serves both enlightenment and gaining freedom from the old agendas that often arise from hurtful events we did not choose to experience. Following these old agendas, with their rules and triggers, is, therefore, a kind of alien control. In her masterful book, Beate shows how we can dampen or even overcome this alien determination and gain more self-control and self-determination of our lives.”  
—Rainer F. Sonntag, MD, behavioral psychiatrist and psychotherapist 
 
“What makes this book especially valuable is its clinical practicality. Through examples, metaphors, and exercises, Ebert illustrates how therapists can notice and support the small but powerful moments where clients realize they’re the observers of their experiences, not defined by them. She demonstrates how these shifts emerge through relationships, not just reasoning alone.” 
—Joseph Ciarrochi, PhD, professor of psychology at Australian Catholic University, developer of DNA-V, and coauthor of What Makes You Stronger and The Thriving Adolescent 
 
“Therapists must have a deep understanding of the self—how it develops, how it can trap us, and how to change self-concepts. Our self shapes everything: our thoughts, emotions, behaviors, relationships, and careers. In this important book, Beate Ebert dives into theory and practice, producing an essential resource for therapist training and supervision. Study this book and you’ll gain greater insight into yourself as a therapist, support your clients in recognizing the traps of their past, and help them move toward the lives they hope to live.” 
—Louise Hayes, PhD, clinical psychologist and adjunct senior research fellow at La Trobe University, developer of DNA-V, and coauthor of What Makes You Stronger and Your Life Your Way 
 
“Beate Ebert beautifully integrates theory, metaphor, and lived experience to illuminate how to make self-as-context tangible in session. Chapter 7 is especially powerful—it centers the therapeutic relationship as the most important intervention we have. This book is a must-read for clinicians committed to integrating presence, perspective taking, and compassion into their practice. It will shift how you show up with clients—and perhaps, how you show up with yourself.”
— Mavis Tsai, PhD, research scientist at the University of Washington, cocreator of functional analytic psychotherapy, and founder of the Awareness, Courage & Love Global Project