Identify Cognitive Fusion

“Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow.”  – Swedish Proverb Cognitive fusion takes hold when we become so attached to patterns of thinking or specific thoughts that they get in the way of leading a full, rich, and meaningful life.  In order words, we are fused to our thoughts when they cause significant…

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Cognitive Defusion in a Nutshell

“People become attached to their burdens sometimes more than the burdens are attached to them.” – George Bernard Shaw Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) encourages people to “defuse” themselves from maladaptive patterns of thinking through a process called cognitive defusion.  The idea is that we all have a tendency to over-identify with our thoughts, amplifying…

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Confront the Agenda of Emotional Control

“Action seems to follow feeling, but really action and feeling go together; and by regulating the action, which is under the more direct control of the will, we can indirectly regulate the feeling, which is not.” – William James When we experience emotional suffering, it is natural to want it to “stop.”  There is often…

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