Psychology Glossary

In Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), acceptance refers to the willingness to fully experience and embrace one's thoughts, emotions, sensations, and memories, without attempting to suppress, avoid, or control them. It involves opening up to whatever arises in the present moment, regardless of whether it is pleasant or unpleasant. Acceptance does not imply passive resignation or endorsement of one's experiences but rather a stance of non-judgmental awareness and allowing.

     Acceptance in ACT is closely intertwined with the concept of willingness, which involves actively choosing to engage with difficult or uncomfortable experiences in the service of living a values-based life. Willingness acknowledges that while certain thoughts or emotions may be challenging, they need not dictate one's actions or define one's identity. Instead, individuals can cultivate a willingness to tolerate discomfort and move forward in pursuit of their goals and values, even in the presence of internal or external obstacles.

     By practicing acceptance and willingness, individuals can develop greater psychological flexibility, resilience, and vitality. Rather than being controlled by their experiences, they can learn to respond more effectively to life's challenges and live a more meaningful and fulfilling life.

• see section on ACT

The Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model is a theoretical framework that forms the foundation of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. Developed by Francine Shapiro, the AIP model proposes that psychological disturbances, including trauma-related symptoms, result from unprocessed memories that are stored in the brain in an "adverse" or maladaptive form.

      According to the AIP model, memories become stuck or "frozen" when they are inadequately processed due to overwhelming emotional experiences. These unprocessed memories continue to evoke distressing emotions, physical sensations, and beliefs that contribute to psychological symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

      EMDR therapy aims to facilitate the adaptive processing of these maladaptive memories by activating the brain's natural healing mechanisms. Through a structured eight-phase approach, EMDR helps clients reprocess traumatic memories by accessing them while simultaneously engaging in bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements, taps, or auditory tones. This bilateral stimulation is thought to facilitate the integration of fragmented memories and promote adaptive resolution of distressing experiences.

     The AIP model also highlights the importance of identifying and addressing the underlying core beliefs, emotions, and sensations associated with traumatic memories. By processing these memories and associated elements, EMDR therapy aims to alleviate distress, reduce symptoms, and promote psychological healing and resilience.

• see section on DARe

Cognitive defusion, a fundamental concept in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), involves distancing oneself from unhelpful thoughts and gaining perspective on them. Rather than taking thoughts at face value or becoming entangled in them, cognitive defusion techniques help individuals recognize that thoughts are merely mental events, not necessarily reflective of reality or directives for action. Through defusion exercises, such as repeating a thought rapidly or imagining it as an object, individuals learn to observe thoughts without attachment or judgment. By creating space between themselves and their thoughts, individuals can reduce the impact of negative thinking patterns and gain greater freedom to choose how to respond to their internal experiences. Cognitive defusion fosters psychological flexibility, allowing individuals to engage more fully in valued actions and pursue a meaningful life despite the presence of challenging thoughts or emotions.

DARVO is a psychological manipulation tactic often employed by abusers to deflect responsibility and invalidate the experiences of their victims. Coined by Dr. Jennifer Freyd, this acronym stands for "Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender." In this process, the perpetrator first denies the abusive behavior, then attacks the victim for making the allegation, and finally reverses the roles, portraying themselves as the victim and the actual victim as the offender. This strategy is commonly used in abusive relationships to silence victims, undermine their credibility, and maintain control. Understanding DARVO can help individuals recognize and protect themselves from such manipulative behaviors.

The dorsal vagal complex, a significant component of the autonomic nervous system, is integral in regulating physiological responses during states of rest, relaxation, and immobilization. This complex encompasses various brainstem structures, including the dorsal vagus nerve, nucleus tractus solitarius, and dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus. Activation of the dorsal vagal complex is associated with the "freeze" response, a survival mechanism characterized by decreased heart rate, blood pressure, and metabolic activity. This response facilitates energy conservation and may occur during extreme stress, trauma, or perceived threat. Understanding the dorsal vagal complex provides insights into the neurobiological mechanisms underlying stress responses and trauma reactions, as well as informing therapeutic interventions aimed at restoring physiological balance and promoting resilience.

The Drama Triangle, conceptualized by Dr. Stephen Karpman in 1968, is a psychological and social model of human interaction that illustrates a destructive cycle of behavior often seen in conflicts and stressful situations. It consists of three roles: the Persecutor, the Rescuer, and the Victim. The Persecutor exerts control and blames others, the Rescuer attempts to help others in a way that fosters dependency, and the Victim feels oppressed and helpless. These roles are dynamic, with individuals frequently shifting between them, perpetuating the cycle of dysfunction. Recognizing and understanding the Drama Triangle can help individuals break free from these unhealthy patterns and develop more constructive and empowering ways of interacting.

• see section on EMDR

• see section on Trauma Informed Care

Guilt and shame are often used interchangeably, but they represent distinct emotional experiences. Guilt typically arises from a specific behavior or action that violates one's internalized moral code or ethical standards. It is focused on the wrongdoing itself and the sense of responsibility for causing harm or offense to others. In contrast, shame is a more pervasive and internalized feeling of unworthiness or inadequacy as a person. It is often associated with one's sense of self and identity, rather than with a particular behavior. While guilt motivates individuals to repair the harm done and make amends, shame tends to lead to self-criticism, withdrawal, and a deep-seated belief of being fundamentally flawed. Ultimately, guilt involves feeling bad about one's actions (i.e., "I made a mistake"), whereas shame involves feeling bad about oneself (i.e., "I am the mistake").

• also see section on DARe

The acronym FORD stands for Family, Occupation, Recreation, and Dreams, and it is a conversational technique often used to facilitate engaging and meaningful interactions, particularly in social settings or when meeting new people. Each component of the acronym represents a different topic of conversation:

1. Family: This includes discussions about family members, relationships, and familial experiences. Sharing stories about family dynamics, traditions, or significant events can help create connections and foster understanding between individuals.
2. Occupation: This pertains to conversations related to work, career, and professional endeavors. Discussing one's occupation allows individuals to share insights about their skills, interests, and experiences in the workplace.
3. Recreation: This involves conversations about hobbies, interests, and leisure activities. Sharing experiences related to recreational pursuits provides opportunities for bonding over shared interests and discovering new activities.
4. Dreams: This refers to aspirations, goals, and future plans. Engaging in discussions about dreams allows individuals to express their ambitions, aspirations, and hopes for the future, fostering deeper connections and understanding between individuals.

To use the FORD acronym effectively, individuals can initiate conversations by asking open-ended questions or sharing personal experiences related to each topic. By exploring these areas of discussion, individuals can establish rapport, build connections, and foster meaningful interactions with others.

The HALT acronym, encompassing hunger, anger, loneliness, and tiredness, serves as a potent reminder of the various emotional and physical states in which we may find ourselves more vulnerable and less equipped to make sound decisions. 

1. When hunger strikes, our blood sugar levels plummet, affecting our cognitive abilities and often leaving us irritable and prone to impulsive choices. 
2. Anger, whether simmering beneath the surface or erupting in full force, clouds our judgment and can lead us to act impulsively, escalating conflicts and exacerbating situations. 
3. Loneliness, the pervasive feeling of disconnection and isolation, can leave us seeking solace in unhealthy habits or relationships, compromising our values and self-care in the process. 
4. Lastly, fatigue, whether from lack of sleep or mental exhaustion, diminishes our capacity to think clearly and regulate our emotions, making it easier to succumb to instant gratification or make rash decisions without considering the consequences. 

Recognizing these vulnerable states allows us to exercise greater self-awareness and implement strategies to mitigate their impact, fostering more mindful and intentional decision-making in our daily lives.

Interoception is the internal perception and sensing of bodily sensations, including those related to emotions, arousal, and physiological states. It plays a crucial role in our ability to regulate emotions, navigate stress, and maintain overall well-being. In the context of Somatic Experiencing (SE™), interoception holds particular significance as it forms the foundation for understanding and resolving trauma-related symptoms. SE™ emphasizes the importance of tuning into bodily sensations and using them as guides for healing. By developing awareness of subtle bodily cues and sensations, individuals undergoing SE™ can access and process unresolved traumatic experiences stored in the body. This process allows for the renegotiation of trauma responses and the restoration of the body's natural capacity for self-regulation. Through SE™, individuals learn to harness the power of interoception to facilitate healing and promote resilience in the face of trauma.

• see section on ACT

Neuroception, as conceptualized by Stephen Porges, refers to the subconscious neural process through which our nervous system detects cues of safety, danger, or threat in our environment. Unlike perception, which involves conscious awareness, neuroception operates at an automatic, preconscious level, continuously scanning for signs of safety or danger to inform our physiological and behavioral responses. Porges' Polyvagal Theory highlights the role of the autonomic nervous system in neuroception, particularly the vagus nerve's ventral branch, which is associated with feelings of safety and social engagement. Neuroception influences our interactions with others, shaping our ability to form relationships, regulate emotions, and navigate social situations. Understanding neuroception offers insights into how our bodies respond to perceived threats, providing a framework for promoting emotional regulation and resilience in therapeutic interventions and everyday life.

From an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) perspective, the concept of "pain of presence" refers to the discomfort or distress experienced when confronting difficult emotions, thoughts, or sensations that arise in the present moment. Instead of avoiding or suppressing these uncomfortable experiences, ACT encourages individuals to fully acknowledge and accept them as part of their human experience. By embracing the pain of presence with mindfulness and compassion, individuals can cultivate greater psychological flexibility and resilience, ultimately leading to a more fulfilling and meaningful life.

From an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) perspective, "pain of absence" refers to the distress or longing experienced when one is disconnected from their values, relationships, or experiences that are meaningful and important to them. This pain arises when individuals feel a sense of emptiness or loss due to the absence of these valued aspects of life. ACT teaches individuals to recognize and honor these feelings of pain, using them as motivation to clarify their values and take committed action aligned with those values. Through mindfulness and values-based action, individuals can move towards creating a life rich in meaning and connection, thereby alleviating the pain of absence.

• see section on Trauma Informed Care

• see section on Trauma Informed Care

Diane Poole Heller, PhD, introduces the concept of the "range of resiliency" as a nuanced understanding of the human capacity to navigate life's challenges. Similar to Dan Siegel's "window of tolerance," this framework explores the spectrum within which individuals can effectively manage stressors and regulate their emotional responses. However, the range of resiliency expands upon this notion by acknowledging that our ability to cope with stressors is not fixed but dynamic, fluctuating based on various factors such as past experiences, current circumstances, and relational dynamics. This model emphasizes the importance of flexibility and adaptability in responding to adversity, recognizing that individuals may shift within this range depending on internal and external influences. By embracing the concept of the range of resiliency, individuals can cultivate a deeper understanding of their capacity for growth and transformation, harnessing their innate resilience to navigate life's inevitable ups and downs with greater ease and grace.

• see section on SE™

The SIBAM acronym from Somatic Experiencing® (SE™) stands for sensation, image, behavior, affect and meaning.  It provides a comprehensive framework for understanding and addressing the various dimensions of human experience. 

1. Sensation refers to the physical sensations experienced in the body, serving as vital indicators of one's internal state and often carrying implicit messages about unresolved trauma or stress. 
2. Images encompass the vivid mental representations that arise spontaneously, offering insight into the subconscious processing of past events and their impact on present perceptions. 
3. Behavior encompasses the observable actions and reactions exhibited by individuals, reflecting both conscious and unconscious responses to internal and external stimuli. 
4. Affect refers to the emotional experiences that accompany sensations, images, and behaviors, offering valuable clues about underlying emotional states and unresolved emotional wounds. 
5. Finally, meaning pertains to the personal significance and interpretation attributed to sensations, images, behaviors, and affect, highlighting the individual's unique narrative and belief systems. 

By attending to each component of the SIBAM framework, practitioners of Somatic Experiencing® can facilitate holistic healing and integration, fostering greater resilience and well-being in clients.

In psychology, "soma" refers to the body as distinct from the mind, soul, or psyche. Derived from the Greek word "σῶμα" (sôma), meaning "body," soma emphasizes the physical aspects of an individual in the context of study and treatment.

• see section on ACT

Suppressing thoughts and emotions, while it may provide temporary relief, ultimately proves ineffective and even harmful in the long run. From an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) perspective, suppression goes against the core principle of psychological flexibility, which emphasizes openness to experiences and willingness to accept internal discomfort. When individuals attempt to suppress or ignore unwanted thoughts or emotions, they inadvertently amplify their intensity and frequency, leading to increased distress over time. Moreover, suppression consumes mental energy and resources, often resulting in heightened anxiety, depression, or other psychological symptoms. Instead of suppressing, ACT encourages individuals to practice mindfulness and acceptance, allowing thoughts and emotions to arise without judgment. By embracing internal experiences with openness and compassion, individuals can foster psychological resilience and live more authentically in alignment with their values.

The TICES worksheet, an acronym for Trigger, Image, Cognition, Emotion, and Sensation, is a fundamental tool utilized within Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. Developed by Francine Shapiro, EMDR is a psychotherapy approach aimed at addressing traumatic experiences and distressing memories. The TICES worksheet serves as a structured framework to systematically explore and process these elements during EMDR sessions. Clients identify triggers, such as sights, sounds, or thoughts, associated with distressing memories. They then focus on the specific mental images related to the triggering event, along with the accompanying negative beliefs or cognitions about themselves that arise. Emotions and physical sensations linked to the memory are also identified. By addressing each component of the TICES model, clients gain insight into the interconnected aspects of their distress and begin to reprocess the traumatic experience, ultimately facilitating healing and adaptive resolution.

• see section on Trauma Informed Care

• see section on Trauma Informed Care

• see section on Trauma Informed Care

In Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), values are deeply held, personally chosen guiding principles that define what is meaningful and important to an individual. Unlike goals, which are specific outcomes or achievements, values represent ongoing directions for behavior and decision-making that can be pursued throughout one's life. Values reflect a person's unique sense of purpose, integrity, and identity, shaping how they want to live and interact with the world around them.

Values are intrinsic to each individual and can encompass various domains of life, such as relationships, career, personal growth, health, and community involvement. They provide a framework for making choices that are consistent with one's deepest desires and aspirations, even in the face of challenges or discomfort.

In ACT, clarifying values is a key component of therapy, as it empowers individuals to connect with what truly matters to them and to commit to actions aligned with those values. By living in accordance with their values, individuals can cultivate a sense of fulfillment, authenticity, and resilience, ultimately leading to a more meaningful and purposeful life.

The ventral vagal complex, a pivotal component of the autonomic nervous system, plays a crucial role in regulating social engagement, emotional well-being, and physiological states in response to social cues and safety signals. Comprised of interconnected brain structures including the ventral vagus nerve, nucleus ambiguus, and dorsal motor nucleus of vagus, this complex orchestrates responses involved in social behavior and emotional regulation. Activation of the ventral vagal complex is associated with feelings of safety, connection, and relaxation, promoting social engagement and adaptive responses to stressors. Dysfunction or dysregulation of this system may contribute to social anxiety, emotional dysregulation, and autonomic imbalance. Understanding the ventral vagal complex is essential for comprehending the neurobiological underpinnings of social behavior and emotional regulation, as well as developing interventions to promote emotional well-being and social connection.

• see section on Trauma Informed Care