In the last twenty years, mindfulness and acceptance-based therapies have gained immense popularity as treatment options for various health and mental health concerns. Meanwhile, social work has focused on serving the needs of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and disadvantaged. Both social work and psychology stress the importance of understanding and addressing the contextual forces which contribute to human problems. Now, in Mindfulness and Acceptance in Social Work, a clinical social worker brings together the top voices in social work and mindfulness-based treatments in one volume. With contributions by mindfulness experts and pioneers, such as Kirk Strosahl, Patricia Robinson, Matthew S. Boone, and Steven C. Hayes, this book offers an introduction to evidence-based mindfulness concepts and discusses how they can be applied to your profession in social work. It also includes brief interventions that can bring mindfulness and acceptance into daily practice, whether you work with clients in a therapy setting or in other settings. Unlike many books on mindfulness and acceptance which come from the field of psychology, this book touches on issues such as social justice, cultural diversity, and macro social work. In this book you will learn how to move past culturally-informed biases, as well as how to best utilize mindfulness interventions for both individuals and the community at large. The Mindfulness and Acceptance Practica Series As mindfulness and acceptance-based therapies gain momentum in the field of mental health, it is increasingly important for professionals to understand the full range of their applications. To keep up with the growing demand for authoritative resources on these treatments, The Mindfulness and Acceptance Practica Series was created. These edited books cover a range of evidence-based treatments, such as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), compassion-focused therapy (CFT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) therapy. Incorporating new research in the field of psychology, these books are powerful tools for mental health clinicians, researchers, advanced students, and anyone interested in the growth of mindfulness and acceptance strategies.

To fear is to be human. But fear can also keep us stuck living lives that are stale, stagnant, or downright miserable. Stop Avoiding Stuff offers 25 "microskills" to help readers identify how their fears are holding them back. Drawing on proven-effective acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), readers will learn how to get comfortable with discomfort, do the very things that scare them, and use values-based action to live their very best lives. Afraid? Do it anyway! The 25 microskills in this little book will help you stand up to your fears, so you can live the life you really want.To fear is to be human. But fear can also keep us stuck living lives that are stale, stagnant, or downright miserable. Fear leads us down paths that feel more safe, but that deep down we know are wrong for us. The good news is that you can stand up to your fears and change your life for the better. If you're ready to stop avoiding stuff and say yes to opportunity, the easy-to-implement strategies in this book will help you break the avoidance habits that have been keeping you in a rut.Drawing on evidence-based acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), this accessible guide offers 25 microskills to help you face your fears so you can live a truly courageous and meaningful life. With this book, you'll learn: ·Why you avoid stuff ·Tips to increase self-awareness in moments of fear ·Strategies for untangling from distressing thoughts ·How to hold the inevitable pain and discomfort of life lightly ·Ways to connect with your values and take action We are hardwired to avoid, control, and escape the stuff that makes us uncomfortable. But if you're ready to stop living scared, the tips and tools in this little book will help you pivot back to what really matters to you.