ABSTRACT

ACT at the End is based on the principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and while it has a grounding in research, it is also a hands-on clinical guide for those working with people at a tricky and complex time of life. This treatment manual is arranged to support clinicians in stepping through common concerns and addressing the ways that people at this stage of life may require psychological support as well as strategies for supporting clinicians working in this space. The guide provides a formulated ACT approach to address each element of the Hexaflex, as well as work around self-compassion and using ACT approaches to support difficult decision making.

This book provides examples that clinicians will be able to apply to their own practices and tools that they can use to troubleshoot clinical concerns. It’s a helpful companion to clinicians navigating challenging terrain—much in the way that someone might turn to a colleague for advice, it is open and accessible, while still recognizing the ways in which that the work is hard.

chapter |3 pages

Introduction

part 1|56 pages

Understanding Death and the Psychological Implications

chapter 1|3 pages

An Evidence-Based Approach

chapter 2|11 pages

The Psychological Components of Dying

chapter 3|5 pages

Uncertainty

chapter 4|4 pages

Desire for Hastened Death

chapter 5|5 pages

A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing …

chapter 6|7 pages

Pain and Somatic Processes

chapter 7|3 pages

Complexity of Caring

chapter 8|11 pages

Delicate Spaces

(Religion, Sexuality, Fertility, Where to Die, Hope)

chapter 9|5 pages

Legacy

Or Making Sense of The World Without Us in It!

part 2|99 pages

Applying Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to End of Life

chapter 10|12 pages

Formulation and Consistency

chapter 11|3 pages

Six Core Processes

chapter 12|11 pages

Values

chapter 13|10 pages

Committed Action

chapter 14|13 pages

Acceptance

chapter 16|11 pages

Thought Management and Defusion

chapter 17|8 pages

Self as Context

chapter 18|6 pages

Self-Compassion

chapter 19|10 pages

Supporting People in Decision Making

part 3|17 pages

The Therapist Process

chapter 20|4 pages

What Shows Up for Us

chapter 21|4 pages

Managing Our Own Stuff

chapter 22|3 pages

Tolerance of Sitting

chapter 23|4 pages

Saying Goodbye

part 4|18 pages

Clinical Case Studies

chapter 24|4 pages

Managing Physical Decline

chapter 25|4 pages

Existential Distress

chapter 26|4 pages

A Hard Decision

chapter 27|4 pages

When Death Takes Too Long

chapter |2 pages

Conclusion