Much is being said nowadays about Third Generation Therapies, which include, among others, therapies based on Mindfulness (MBSR –Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction– and MBCT –Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT, for its acronym in English Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) and how, thanks to them and the acceptance of the present moment, we can help improve the emotional well-being of our patients and our own as psychotherapists. Let’s not forget that, as psychologists, we have a moral responsibility to be well ourselves in order to provide a quality service to those who need it (but this is a topic for reflection in itself, which deserves greater attention and development).
These therapeutic approaches, also known as Contextual Therapies -a name I consider more appropriate as it emphasizes the way we work, taking into account the dynamic context with which the patient interacts- are very useful when addressing issues in therapy and become indispensable once we start working with them. However, this does not mean we replace cognitive-behavioral therapies (or second-generation therapies); moreover, we can say that these represent the fundamental theoretical basis for the development and implementation of the former. They can often be mutually reinforcing, and this is particularly clear in practice when, for example, we first seek relaxation with a patient suffering from anxiety, and then, through this sensation, they can explore how they feel in their daily life. It is also a way of working that allows for greater patient involvement, as they do daily work (e.g., through records or observation of their own behavior and emotions) and then work in session.
With contextual therapies, we also achieve an approach to emotions and work extensively with them, an element that was being relegated in other approaches to make way for thoughts and behaviors (which are also important). Thanks to contextual therapies, we can teach our patients to relate better to them, understand them, and regulate them, instead of fleeing from them or falling into extreme rationalization. In many cases, our emotional well-being is limited by our understanding and management of emotions in our daily lives. When we approach emotions and manage to reconnect with them, we realize what great allies they are, as they allow us a better connection with the environment by giving us information about it and by allowing us to see what is important. Once the patient has managed to integrate these elements, they are able to see what they value in their life and what actions they should undertake to achieve the life they want.
Thus, when we integrate thoughts and behaviors (cognitive-behavioral) and the emotional aspect (contextual), we can achieve a more complete therapy, which will result in the patient’s improvement.
Training in third-generation therapies is essential to offer effective and responsible therapy. ISEP offers the Master’s in Third Generation Therapies and Application of New Technologies in Psychological Treatment.