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A Liberated Mind

The essential guide to ACT

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A Liberated Mind

By: Steven Hayes
Narrated by: Mark Deakins, Steven Hayes
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Over the last 35 years, Steven C. Hayes and his colleagues have developed Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with many hundreds of studies supporting the impact of his approach on everything from chronic pain to weight loss to prejudice and bigotry.

A Liberated Mind is the summary of Steven’s life’s work which will teach readers how to live better, happier and more fulfilled lives by applying the six key processes of ACT. Put together these processes teach us to pivot: to “defuse” rather than fuse with our thoughts; to see life from a new perspective; and to discover our chosen values, those qualities of being that fuel meaning.

Steve shares fascinating research results like how ACT techniques decreased typing errors on a clerical test or showed that positive affirmations actually increase negative emotion. And he weaves them with stories of clients and colleagues as well as his own riveting story of healing himself of a severe panic disorder, which is how the idea of psychological flexibility was born.

A Liberated Mind is a powerful and important book about a new form of psychology, destined to become a modern classic of narrative psychology on par with Daring Greatly and Rising Strong by Brene Brown, or Carol Dweck’s Mindset.

Personal Development Personal Success Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Health Mental Health Emotions
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Recommended to get a wider idea with examples about ACT. The narration is clear.

Great introduction to the topic

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This is a classic and deserves a place on the bookshelves (or in the Audible downloads) of all and any psychologist, counsellor, as well as any lay person suffering with anxiety or depression. Whether you've benefited from ACT before or are new to it, this book is a comprehensive and updated guide.

There are both engaging stories and also exercises to do. I also went on to get the paperback as I wanted a hardcopy to refer to again and again. It lives on my bedside table. The ACT in this book has allowed me to make actual real changes in my life, has given me to the tools to overcome fears and procrastination that were crippling me.

I only wish Dr Steven Hayes had narrated it himself as his delivery is so engaging and soulful (check out his Ted Talks!) but Mark Deakins also does a good job.

A classic

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One of the best books that I have ever read. Practical guidance validated by controlled studies. You do not get better than this. Would recommend for anyone

Outstanding - invaluable guidance for living in modern times

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If someone started a crowdfunding to get the author himself to read the book, I would chip in. That would make this book 10 times better.

Therefore I strongly recommend his newest book, Acceptance and Commitment Theraphy, instead.

It’s more or less the same as this book, only with much more empathy and more to the point. Ah, and by the way, Dr Steven Hayes reads it himself. He is great, with a soothing and connected presence.

Would pay for the author to read this book

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I was sceptical as an accredited CBT practitioner I was sceptical about ACT. In my opinion ACT includes interventions that good CBT practitioners use anyway. If thought challenging is not working then moving towards a more acceptance based approach for instance.

I have to say that there is more to it than that. There is something very “open source” about the ACT approach which I like. CBT has been commercialised and the Beck’s have a lot to answer for in that regard.

I still feel that ACT is closer to CBT than it likes to admit but I see the necessity of creating a therapy in itself. So that research and progress in the field can continue.

Psychological or cognitive flexibility will always be at the forefront of my mind when Treating My patients. It always has. I did not need ACT to tell me that. But I did need this book and the work related to it to formalise it so that I’m not just taking shots in the dark or even worse, brute forcing interventions that aren’t helping.

Read with a willingness. Open up to your experience and most of all be flexible my friends.

A necessary listen

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