Catholic acceptance and commitment therapy: A Catholic model of psychotherapy fostering psychological and spiritual healing and growth

Abstract

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is one of several models of therapy constituting a third wave of therapies, the first consisting of behavior therapy and the second cognitive therapy (Cloud, 2006). It is gaining considerable popularity in the field of psychology, and appears to offer a pragmatic and useful approach to addressing not only mental and emotional suffering, but all kinds of suffering in life. The principles of the ACT model bear a striking resemblance to Catholic spiritual principles encouraged for centuries as a beneficial response to the experience of human suffering. Despite apparent similarities, however, there are significant aspects of the ACT model that are not consistent with a Catholic understanding of the human person. Therefore, this document proposes a Catholic adaptation of ACT, which has the potential to provide an integrated spiritual and psychological model of therapy to clients suffering mental disorders who adhere to the Judeo-Christian worldview. The method of this proposal involves four main parts: (a) an argument for the need for an integrated Catholic spiritual and psychological model of therapy; (b) a comprehensive literature review of ACT; (c) a summary of the perceived limitations of ACT when evaluated through the lens of a Catholic anthropology of the human person; and (d) an introduction to Catholic Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (C-ACT), including its theological and philosophical framework, its theory, and its practice.