ACT assumes that (a) quality of life is primarily dependent upon mindful, values-guided action, and (b) this is possible regardless of how many symptoms you have - provided that you respond to your symptoms with mindfulness. See if you can get into the psychological space of your observing self and, from that space, notice what your thoughts are doing.”

The more we enter into the world of direct experience, the more we leave behind the world of language. The court also tries to resolve all disputes when the person's carer, healthcare worker or social worker disagree about what's in the person's best interests, or when the views of the attorneys conflict in relation to property and welfare.Values differ from goals, although the two are easily confused. The difference is that goals are finite; they end, and the person moves on to the next one. Values are ongoing and infinite. They are chosen qualities of action that can never be accomplished but can be acted on moment by moment (Harris, 2019).

Returning to the mantra, embrace your demons, follow your heart, committed action encapsulates the second half of this statement. Clients in ACT commit first to getting to know their hearts by identifying values and then following their hearts by committing to act with their values at the forefront of their minds. While we do have a lot of control over how we act, we don’t have any control over what we get. So it makes sense to focus on what is most within our control. The most empowering response to unmet needs and unfulfilled desires is to accept the pain, connect with our values, and take action. This means an act or activity taken by a public authority which is not a service. A public authority carries out a public function when it performs its particular legal duties and powers. Examples of public functions are licensing, planning and enforcement of parking. The Care Act sets out some 'key principles' on how health and social care professionals should work with you. Those principles are:-I am not a professional therapist. However, several very smart people I know have recommended ACT, so I read Russ Harris' book "The Happiness Trap" (intended for the general population). Although I am a strong proponent of mindfulness and I liked a lot of what Harris was saying, I also found "The Happiness Trap" to be glib, invalidating of the experiences of people who may be struggling with more serious conditions, and at points generally infuriating to the point of unreadable. Because I liked some of Harris' ideas, and his methodology came with such a strong recommendation from people that I respect, I decided to try again with this primer intended for practicing clinicians, and I am glad I did because it ended up being a much more thoughtful, thorough, and nuanced discussion of his key principles.