Implementing the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Process of Self-as-Context into Therapeutic Intervention
Psychotherapy

Implementing the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Process of Self-as-Context into Therapeutic Intervention

GLPG9 min read

Acceptance and commitment therapy or ACT is a third wave cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) approach and intervention. ACT helps clients engage in more value-based living while promoting psychological flexibility. 

ACT has six core processes defined as: 

  • Acceptance
  • cognitive defusion
  • “Self-as-context,” 
  • Values
  • committed to action
  • Being present in the here and now (Hayes, 2006).

Self-as-context 

This article will focus on the core process of self-as-context or SAC, which involves clients learning to observe their experiences without becoming entangled in them. 

SAC has five conceptual components: 

  • awareness of a distinct self
  • Transcendent
  • Enduring
  • Perspective-taking
  • observing self (Godbee & Kangas, 2020. p. 918). 

The article will also explain how to incorporate different SAC practices, while highlighting the conceptual components, to implement with clients. Different practices will include, but are not limited to, the utilization of metaphors, “The Observing Self” exercise, and the “Going Meta” exercise.

When working with clients, do you notice their challenges are often influenced by the broader context of their lives? For example:

  • Job title or career path
  • Income or financial stability
  • Level of intelligence or education
  • Personal relationships and social support

You may often find that clients note these contextual factors as a part of their overall identities. These contextual factors are circumstantial and are subject to change throughout the life span.  In the context of self-as-context (SAC), a person learns to be aware of their experiences without becoming attached to them or invested in specific outcomes (Hayes, 2006). This allows for a person to be an observer of their experiences and notice them without critical judgment on the self.

The Five Subcomponents of Self as Context (SAC): 

1. Awareness of a Distinct Self

According to Godbee and Kangas (2020), awareness of a distinct self involves the awareness that “My internal experiences are not who I am” and “I am not defined by them” (p. 918). When conducting sessions, you may notice clients experiencing cognitive fusion, where they fuse with problematic thoughts and feelings. Examples of this can include clients reporting feelings of inadequacy or thoughts of “I am a failure” or “I am incompetent.” Focusing on the distinct self can assist clients in distinguishing between the thoughts and feelings they are having and who is their authentic self (Godbee & Kangas, 2020, p. 918). As clients begin to see that they are not defined by their thoughts and feelings, they can take this understanding further by exploring the part of themselves that has remained unchanged over time.

2. Enduring

When discussing enduring, it refers to a persistent sense of self that has consistently existed. This enduring self has remained unchanged throughout the individual’s life (Godbee & Kangas, 2020, p. 918). This can be invoked when exploring with clients on how there has been a part of them that has always watched their internal experiences. With clients recognizing the enduring observer, this can lead to the idea of being transcendent, where the self exists beyond any moment or experience.

3. Transcendent

According to Foody, Barnes-Holmes, Barnes-Holmes, & Luciano (2013) transcendent, also known as hierarchical, is when clients are able to see themselves higher than their psychological content (p. 377). The transcendent self allows for clients to engage in cognitive defusion, or being able distance themselves from their internal struggles. 

A reference I would like to use is from the game Split Fiction on Playstation 5. One of the main characters is a science fiction author named Mio, who has stories related to space. In the game, Mio’s stories are played out via a simulation machine. The stories can be challenging and frightening, as they are also depictions of Mio’s problems in the real world. When asked by the other main character, Zoe, why her stories are depicted this way, Mio states that viewing things from space makes her problems seem much smaller than they are (Hazelight Studios, 2025). This illustrates how the transcendent self helps clients “zoom out” and observe their thoughts and struggles from a broader vantage point, reducing their impact. By learning to “zoom out” through the transcendent self, clients are better prepared to step into perspective taking.

4. Perspective-Taking

Perspective-Taking allows clients to take the point of view of an observer of their own psychological experiences (Yu, Norton, & McCracken, 2017, p. 666). For instance, when assisting clients facing decision-making challenges, as the clinician, you can explain that decisions are influenced by the resources available at the moment. Clients may be overwhelmed by their emotions and thoughts during these times, but they can learn to detach from them. Perspective-taking gives the self a place to stand. “I’m here, you’re there.” This then leads to the final component, the Observing Self, which brings all these elements together by encouraging clients to remain present and notice their experiences without judgment.

5. The Observing Self

According to Godbee and Kangas (2020), the observing self requires not only attention to internal experiences, such as mindfulness, but also to the part of the self that notices the noticing (p. 918). The observing self allows clients to have knowledge of the content within their internal struggles, while also allowing them to identify their problematic thoughts as just thoughts and not become overwhelmed by them.

Together, these five subcomponents (awareness of a distinct self, transcendent, enduring, perspective-taking, the observing self) help clients connect with SAC in powerful ways. Through intentional practice, including experiential exercises and metaphors, clinicians can guide clients to understanding themselves more and become observers of their experiences rather than prisoners of them.

Specific Strategies using Self as Context (SAC) and its Subcomponents: 

1. Experiential Exercise: Memories on Pieces of Paper

According to Bennett & Kjelgaard (2020), one exercise is for a person to write his or her thoughts, feelings, sensations, and memories on pieces of paper and place them in a clear glass that they can hold (as cited in Godbee & Kangas, 2020, p. 918). This exercise visually demonstrates that internal experiences are distinct and smaller than the person holding them. While holding the glass, the person can observe the pieces of paper, or internal experiences, from any angle. The internal experiences will change, but the person holding the glass does not. This simple yet powerful exercise reinforces SAC and touches on multiple subcomponents, including awareness of a distinct self, transcendent, enduring, perspective-taking, and the observing self.

2. Metaphors

Different metaphors can be used in dialogue with clients to facilitate self-as-context (SAC). Different metaphors include: “The Store Metaphor,” where a client will picture themselves in a store and the items that fill the store represent their thoughts, memories, and experiences (Knox, 2013). You do not control what goes in the store, but you are able to select what comes out of the store with you, which illustrates the separation between self and its psychological content (Knox, 2013). “The Store Metaphor” displays awareness of the distinct self, perspective-taking, and the observing self. 

Other metaphors include: 

“The Boat”

In “The Boat” metaphor, a person pictures themselves steering a ship (Graff, 2018). The weather while steering the ship represents this person’s emotions, which can sometimes be choppy or calm (Graff, 2018). The animals and sea monsters are representative of your thoughts (Graff, 2018). The only person that can steer the ship is yourself, and nothing is able to move the boat (Graff, 2018). “The Boat” metaphor displays transcendent and enduring. 

“Hot Air Balloon Metaphor” 

A person pictures themselves on the ground getting ready to board a hot air balloon (Kauer, 2022). The ground is messy and represents this person’s thoughts, emotions, and experiences (Kauer, 2022). Once you board the hot air balloon and take flight, you notice that the messy ground becomes smaller and smaller the more you ascend (Kauer, 2022). “Hot Air Balloon Metaphor,” displays perspective-taking, transcendent, awareness of the distinct self, and the observing self. 

The listed metaphors, as well as additional metaphors, can be found on the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science website at https://contextualscience.org/metaphors 

3. “The Observing Self Exercise”

According to Zettle (2016), The Observing Self exercise is a guided experiential practice that helps clients connect with the enduring, observing aspect of themselves. In this exercise, the clinician would have the client close their eyes and guide them through a review of past and present experiences, while being asked to notice that the “you that you call you that is here now, was there then” (Zettle, 2016, p. 56). This practice was presented by Hayes et al. (1999) in “Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: An Experiential Approach to Behavior Change” (p.193 -195). To access the full script and guidance for this exercise, click here. 

4. The “Going Meta” Exercise 

According to Payne (2022), the term “Going Meta” refers to a person not just doing what they’re doing, but being able to look and observe themselves doing what they’re doing (Payne, 2022, p. 100). The full practice is described in the primary source material “Out of the fire: Healing black trauma caused by systemic racism using acceptance and commitment therapy” (Payne, 2022, p. 102). The practice displays the observing self and transcendent subcomponents of SAC.

Conclusion

Self-as-context (SAC) is one of the core processes of ACT to help clients not be attached to their internal experiences and view them with greater perspective and flexibility. I hope this article has provided you with more clinical knowledge about SAC and how to implement it into practice. Consider this article a starting point for deepening your understanding and skill with using SAC to assist clients with living to their fullest potential.

 

References

Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. (n.d.). Metaphors. Retrieved on March 16, 2025. https://contextualscience.org/metaphors

Bennett, R., & Kjelgaard, R. (2019, June). The head, hands and heart of self-as-context interventions (Workshop). ACBS World Conference, Dublin, Ireland

Foody, M., Barnes-Holmes, Y., Barnes-Holmes, D., & Luciano, C. (2013). An empirical investigation of hierarchical versus distinction relations in a self-based ACT exercise. International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy, 13, 373–388.

Graff, T. (2018, March 9). Boat Metaphor. Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. https://contextualscience.org/book/export/html/21851

Godbee, M., & Kangas, M. (2020). The relationship between flexible perspective taking and emotional well-being: A systematic review of the “self-as-context” component of acceptance and commitment therapy. Behavior Therapy, 51(6), 917–932. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2019.12.010 

Hayes, S. (2006, January 11). The Six Core Process of ACT. Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. https://contextualscience.org/book/export/html/842

Hayes , S. C. , Strosahl , K. D. , & Wilson , K. G. ( 1999 ). Acceptance and Commitment Th erapy: An Experiential Approach to Behavior Change . New York, NY :  Guilford.

Hazelight Studios. (2025). Split Fiction. Electronic Arts

Kauer, B. Z. (2022, May 20). Hot Air Balloon Metaphor. Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. https://contextualscience.org/book/export/html/39346

Knox, S. (2013, February 19). The Store Metaphor. Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. https://contextualscience.org/the_store_metaphor

Payne, J. S. (2022). Out of the fire: Healing black trauma caused by systemic racism using acceptance and commitment therapy. New Harbinger Publications.

Yu, L., Norton, S., & McCracken, L. M. (2017). Change in “self-as-context” (“perspective-taking”) occurs in acceptance and commitment therapy for people with chronic pain and is associated with improved functioning. Journal of Pain, 18, 664–672.

Zettle, R. (2016). The self in acceptance and commitment therapy. In M. Kyrios, R. Moulding, G. Doron, S. S. Bhar, M. Nedeljkovic, & M. Mikulincer (Eds.), The self in understanding and treating psychological disorders (pp. 50–58). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.