What is Creative Hopelessness in ACT?

Creative Hopelessness is a concept used to engage clients in therapy in a way that changes the functions of their coping strategies. Naturally, many people enter therapy wanting to better control their problems, but excessive emotional control and avoidance often keep them stuck and worsens their distress.
Therapists who want to learn Acceptance and Commitment Therapy will have heard about creative hopelessness but may be uncertain about it.
In this episode of APT in ACT, Jim Lucas describes the process of Creative Hopelessness and talks about how and when you can use it in therapy.
Rooted in functional contextualism, creative hopelessness is a tool for exploring the functions of behaviour inside a specific context.
Discover why it is important and learn the five questions you can ask your client to begin this work.
Would you like to learn more about how you teach acceptance? • How do you teach accep...
Would you like to practice your Acceptance and Commitment Therapy skills in a supervision group? Click the link for more information: www.openforwards.com/actpract...

[@Dr.RivkaEdery]

This is so helpful, Jim! I find your delivery of ACT materials to be quite interesting and enticing ❤. In your groups where you teach and guide practitioners, your approach is accepting, patient, humble and so clear to understand! Thank you for everything.❤

[@Vyanne84]

Wish you would produce more videos, this is high quality content for therapists!

[@APTinACT]

That's kind of you. I've got some in the pipeline.

[@beacarrington5057]

Thank you for this video Jim. Very clear, concise and told me exactly what I needed to know to move forward with using this in practice. I especially liked the 5 questions to use in session. Thank you for your time and effort in putting this series together.

[@APTinACT]

Thank you Bea. I appreciate the feedback and to learn what was most useful. It will help with future videos.

[@seanstutt7269]

Great video!

[@reddevil9291]

Thank you a lot for this video, By the way if it's up to me I'll pick you as a James Bond's new replacement .

[@thechariot1x]

Do clients often have a negative reaction to this exercise?

[@MilliVanilli2007]

I still don't get it. Why is ACT so damn abstract? I get the questions but not the concept. It's a whole lot to ask of clients to think in these abstract terms

[@APTinACT]

Thanks for sharing your reaction. I agree creative hopelessness isn't client-friendly language. I don't use it in conversation with them. I tend to help them compare their lived experience with what their mind tells them needs to be done. By doing so, people get better at putting unhelpful thinking to one-side and doing what works.

[@MilliVanilli2007]

@@APTinACT that was super helpful, thank you!!