Free Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Resource for Mental Health Professionals.
Many defusion and acceptance techniques in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) do not require visualisation. In this resource, Russ Harris shares alternatives and adaptations for working with clients who find creating mental images difficult or impossible.
The resource explores listening to thoughts instead of visualising them, focusing on physical sensations during acceptance exercises, and using writing or chair work as alternatives to inner-child imagery. It also provides guidance on explaining that imagining does not have to involve seeing pictures.
Use this resource to:
Adapt defusion exercises using sound, written words and real screens
Explore acceptance and self-compassion exercises without visualisation
Give clear instructions that acknowledge different ways of imagining
