ACT for a young immigrant: the transcultural potential of the model
Azzurra Tavano, Francesco Vincelli
This case study examines the use of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for a 24-year-old immigrant with post-traumatic stress disorder, caused by a serious accident and complicated by irreversible lower limb impaired motor function. The treatment is based on concepts and techniques of acceptance of experience, cognitive defusion, present moment, and self as a context. The therapy aims to increase the patient's psychological flexibility in order to clarify their values and develop actions consistent with them. Compassion-focused therapy, a cognitive-behavioural approach to promote in the patient a non-self-judging and kind attitude towards self, was also used. At the end of the clinical intervention, the patient experienced a remission of symptoms, a reduction of experiential avoidance, an expansion of behavioural repertoires, and a significant improvement of mood and physical well-being. In summary, this study describes an ACT-inspired clinical experience with a foreign migrant. The possible application of this model to patients with heterogeneous cultural origins certainly requires clinical work on a more representative sample of cases and by a larger number of clinicians.
Keywords
ACT, Compassion focused therapy, Immigrants, Values, Committed action.
