Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) supports individuals with autism to develop greater flexibility of thinking. It can teach you to how to see things from different perspectives, and encourages the process known as cognitive defusion, where you learn to reframe and rephrase your thoughts so that you can better understand how they are affecting you.
ACT is also an experiential therapy. This means that expressive tools and activities (such as role-play, music, art, etc.) are used to re-enact and recreate situations from your past and present to identify the emotions and feelings associated with them. You will learn about how these past events might be continuing to have an impact on your life, and to explore and release any negative emotions associated with them.
How can I benefit from joining the group?
Not living the life you want? Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can help.
ACT is different to some other therapies in that it focuses on values rather than goals. In practice, this means that ACT encourages you to commit to taking action that will help you create and live a more meaningful life (values), a process which is always ongoing, rather than setting targets or achievements (goals), which can simply be ticked off as having been attained but which may not have any lasting effect.
By participating in the group, you will learn how to become unstuck so that your thoughts and feelings no longer hold you back from creating a meaningful life. Over the course of 8 sessions, you will address issues such as anxiety, stress, addictions, depression, burn out and more.
The ACT group has been helpful for me separating thoughts that are needing analysing and those that need to be considered and retained. When work and life start building up stressfully, I can now (most of the time) defuse and let go of those feelings and thoughts that are inconsequential and those that need consideration.
- Kate Duffy (Parent and adult on the autism spectrum)
How can I access the group?
If you want to start to live a more rich and meaningful life, then come and join the Autism SA Acceptance Commitment Therapy Group.
Both adults with autism and parents/carers are welcome to join. Participants need to be 18 years or older and able to attend 8 consecutive weekly evening sessions of 90 minutes each.
You can access the ACT Group either through your NDIS Plan or Fee for service. Please contact My Pathways on 1300 288 476 to discuss your options.
To register your interest in this group, please fill out the registration of interest form below, selecting Acceptance and Commitment Therapy option.
Expression of Interest - Groups/Programs
For our groups/programs that do not have current vacancies, but you wish to register interest in future session, please complete the below expression of interest questions. You will be contact when vacancies arise.