Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Brain Injury: A Practical Guide for Clinicians

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Brain Injury discusses how acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) can be integrated into existing approaches to neuropsychological rehabilitation and therapy used with people who have experienced a brain injury. Written by practicing clinical psychologists and clinical neuropsychologists, this text is the first to integrate available research with innovative clinical practice. The book discusses how ACT principles can be adapted to meet the broad and varying physical, cognitive, emotional and behavioural needs of people who have experienced brain injury, including supporting families of people who have experienced brain injury and healthcare professionals working in brain injury services. It offers considerations for direct and indirect, systemic and multi-disciplinary working through discussion of ACT concepts alongside examples taken from clinical practice and consideration of real-world brain injury cases, across a range of clinical settings and contexts. The book will be relevant to a range of psychologists and related professionals, including those working in neuropsychology settings and those working in more general physical or mental health contexts.

Table of Contents:
Foreword – Ray Owens; Preface – Will Curvis & Abi Methley; Part One: Introducing ACT and Brain Injury; 1. Setting the Scene: The Impact of Brain Injury – Harriet Holmes, Paul Twist & Holly; 2. Integrating Acceptance and Commitment Therapy into Holistic Neuropsychological Rehabilitation - Victoria Teggart, Cara Thompson & Thomas Rozwaha; 3. The Y-shaped Model of Psychological Adaptation After Brain Injury: An Acceptance and Commitment Perspective - Fergus Gracey, Katrina Vicentijevic & Abigail Methley; Part Two: Adapting ACT Approaches for Neuropsychological Presentations; 4. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with Children who have Experienced Brain Injury - Victoria Gray & Ingram Wright; 5. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for People with Mild Traumatic Brain injury and Post-Concussion Symptoms - Lorraine King & Lindsay Prescott; 6. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for People with Moderate or Severe Brain Injuries - Emma Cameron, Mark A. Oliver & Will Curvis; 7. Using ACT to Support People with Prolonged Disorders of Consciousness - Alistair J. Teager & Abigail Methley; 8. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for People Experiencing Seizures - Mary King; 9. Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with People with Progressive Neurological Conditions - David Gillanders, Miriam Alonso Fernández & Sarah Gillanders; 10. One Size Fits All? Racial and Cultural Considerations Around Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy With People Who Have Experienced Brain Injury - Rosco Kasujja, Ndidi Boakye, Nadine Mirza & Will Curvis; Part Three: Using ACT Within Systems Supporting People with Brain Injury; 11. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Families Living with Brain Injury - Audrey Daisley & Rachel Tams; 12. Running Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Based Groups in Brain Injury Settings - Reg Morris & Rebecca Large; 13. Integrating Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Principles in Acute Medical Settings – Will Curvis, Emily Smart & Abi Methley; 14. Using ACT Principles to Support Systemic Change - Stephen Weatherhead, Will Curvis & Ché Rosebert; 15. Surviving and Thriving; Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Staff Self-Care in Acquired Brain Injury Services - Jo Black; 16. Future Directions – Abigail Methley & Will Curvis

About the Author :
Dr Will Curvis is a Clinical Psychologist in the NHS, working mainly in acute inpatient physical health and neuropsychology services with people with long-term physical health problems and neurological conditions. He also works as a Clinical Tutor for the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology programme at Lancaster University. Dr Abigail Methley is a Clinical Psychologist in the NHS supporting people with neurological conditions in an outpatient neuropsychology service. In her independent practice she supports people recovering from trauma and living with neurodiversity. She is a clinical researcher and publishes regularly on mental health and neuropsychology practice issues.

Review :
This is a helpful book for practitioners and researchers alike. Acceptance and commitment therapy is becoming more widely known and researched within the field of neurological conditions and a book aimed at working with people with brain injury and their families and systems is a timely addition to the literature. Fiona Eccles, Clinical Psychologist and Lecturer, Lancaster University Will Curvis and Abigail Methley are to be congratulated for this timely collation of relevant research and practical guidance on ACT, showing how the approach can be used to support psychological wellbeing in people with neurological conditions. Particular highlights are scene-setting from experts by experience and discussion of cultural considerations, together with insights into use of ACT with specific brain injury presentations in a variety of settings. Katherine Carpenter, Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist and Chair of The British Psychological Society’s Division of Neuropsychology This really is an excellent compendium of chapters which most helpfully detail the potential for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to improve the psychological well-being of people with a range of different neurological conditions. I particularly valued the chapter on progressive neurological conditions given the relative lack of therapeutic approaches currently available for this group of individuals. Jane Simpson, Professor of the Psychology of Neurodegenerative Conditions, Lancaster University This is a much-needed book. ACT is a well-established psychological therapy but there have been very few comprehensive accounts of how ACT can be used to support people in the context of brain injury. This book illustrates very practically how ACT can be integrated into holistic neuropsychological rehabilitation, with both adults and children, in a wide range of neurological conditions. Importantly, the book discusses how ACT can be adapted for people with moderate or severe brain injury, whilst retaining its core focus on committed action, being present and values-based goal setting. There is something for everyone in this book - whether you are new to ACT, new to neuropsychological rehabilitation or an old hand at both, this book will be useful. Jon Evans, Professor of Applied Neuropsychology, Institute of Health & Wellbeing, University of Glasgow Neuropsychologists working in brain injury rehabilitation will want to read this book about ACT as most survivors of stroke, traumatic brain injury, encephalitis, anoxia and other diagnoses will have both cognitive and emotional problems. For the emotional problems, ACT has become an important tool and this edited book will provide a wealth of detailed information addressing a range of related topics including mild and severe injury, cultural issues, identity, holistic rehabilitation, future directions, and the concerns of both adults and children. Barbara A. Wilson, OBE. Clinical Neuropsychologist and Honorary Professor at the University of Hong Kong, the University of Sydney and the University of East Anglia