A Pioneer in Psychology Discusses Innovation, Life Lessons, and Transforming Mental Health
Steven C. Hayes reflects on the creation of ACT, its impact on mental health, misconceptions, process-based therapy, and his inspiring journey of resilience and scientific discovery. Photo by Seannie Cameras
Steven C. Hayes stands as a towering figure in the field of psychology, a trailblazer whose work has redefined our understanding of human cognition, mental health, and the pathways to personal growth. With an illustrious career that spans decades, Dr Hayes has profoundly influenced the field with his groundbreaking development of Relational Frame Theory and its extension into Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Few psychological interventions over the past two decades have gained the level of global acclaim and empirical validation as ACT, a testament to his dedication to merging profound humanistic ideals with rigorous scientific principles.
The author of 48 books and more than 700 scientific articles, Hayes’ intellectual legacy is unparalleled. His popular works, including Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life and A Liberated Mind, have resonated with millions, offering life-changing insights into how psychological flexibility empowers us to navigate the challenges of modern life. His words, delivered not only through his books but also in TEDx talks and widely-read blogs, have touched the hearts and minds of people around the globe. Recognised as one of the most cited clinical psychologists in history, his contributions have earned him prestigious accolades such as the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies and the Cattell Award from the Association for Psychological Science.
In the interview that follows, Dr Steven C. Hayes shares the deeply personal journey that led to the inception of ACT, dispels common misconceptions about the therapy, and provides a fascinating glimpse into the future of psychological treatment beyond traditional frameworks. This conversation is not just for those in the field of psychology—it is for anyone who seeks to better understand the human condition, the power of scientific innovation, and the courage it takes to follow one’s convictions in the face of doubt. We are honoured to bring you insights from a true pioneer whose life’s work continues to inspire transformative change around the world.
Steven C. Hayes is a transformative leader in psychology whose groundbreaking work has shaped modern mental health practices worldwide.
How did your early experiences in psychology shape the development of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?
Like most psychologists, I decided to work in this area because of the suffering I saw in my home. But as a young person, I gravitated towards how to produce better lives, being particularly attracted to the humanistic psychology of people like Abraham Maslow. I became convinced, however, that we needed to link deep issues of human meaning and human suffering to scientifically well-developed principles that explained how they coiuld be addressed.
That attracted me towards more behavioral approaches, but I soon became frustrated with the poor job they had done in handling issues such as cognition and emotion. As fate would have it, I developed a panic disorder as a new academic and all of these concerns went out the window. After a three-year struggle, I hit bottom, and in an out of body experience I found a way to turn towards anxiety instead of away from it. I knew immediately I was plugged into something that was powerful.
“After a three-year struggle, I hit bottom, and in an out of body experience I found a way to turn towards anxiety instead of away from it.” – Dr. Steven C. Hayes
Instead of immediately running out and declaring that I’d found something I and my students did a few quick studies on how to encourage such a change and then spent two decades researching the processes that would explain why this mattered. When I finally stepped forward 25 years ago with the first academic book on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and then a self-help book a few years later, our ideas caught fire. ACT became the overnight sensation that took 20 years to produce. From that time to this, the work has exploded across the world with about a million trained ACT therapists and several hundred books about ACT in more than 30 languages.
What are some of the big misconceptions about ACT and how do you address them?
The biggest misconception is that ACT it is just another in a long list of specific psychotherapy methods. It wasn’t developed that way, and that’s not what it is. ACT is a change model. It applies to mental health, yes, but also to behavioral health and to social wellness as much or more so.
Because of how it developed, it has more information about processes of change than any other modern psychotherapy or behavior change method. We now know that psychological flexibility processes fit together to ameliorate human suffering and to promote human prosperity in virtually every area of human functioning.
How does relational frame theory contribute to our understanding of human cognition and language?
The behavioral tradition did not have an adequate approach to higher cognition when I started. We discovered that the core issue in human language and cognition is learning to relate bidirectionally and in combination and to change how the world impacts us as a result. For example, a neurotypical child learning that a nickel is smaller than a dime, will derive that a dime is larger despite its physical size and will prefer it if given a choice.
That new kind of “arbitrarily applicable” relational learning interacts with brain and learning systems that are several hundred times older. Symbolic learning is the source of the greatest achievements of humankind – science, technology, art, literature – but it is also the source of a great deal of human misery.
There’s no process called unlearning. Once they’re at a sufficient strength difficult experiences will be at the edge of our awareness for the rest of our life. RFT suggested that we should try to change the function of difficult thoughts or feelings instead. That’s what ACT does.
“Be yourself. Follow your dreams and enjoy the process of pursuing them.” – Dr. Steven C. Hayes
Can you share any insights on the future direction of process-based therapy and its impact on clinical practice?
What is important to human progress is knowing the small steps that people take psychologically, socially, and biologically that lift their lives up or push their lives down. Instead of focusing on imagined latent diseases, process-based therapy looks at the changes that people initiate that can make a difference. It’s a far more productive focus than traditional “mental disorders.”
What role does mindfulness play in ACT and how does it differ from other mindfulness-based approaches?
From an ACT point of view, mindfulness is about learning how to be more cognitively flexible, emotionally open, and to be able to direct attention in a flexible, fluid, and voluntary way from a deeper, more transcendent sense of self. These processes create a solid foundation for knowing one’s values and pursuing them. In ACT, these ideas are not drawn so much from contemplative traditions as they are from processes of change.
“Even if the outcomes you hope for never come, at least the journey will then have been about something.” – Dr. Steven C. Hayes
How do you see the evolution of psychological treatment moving beyond traditional diagnostic DSM?
The DSM has had billions of dollars spent trying to find latent diseases that explain human suffering. Not a single new psychiatric disease has been discovered in which the underlying etiology, mechanistic course, and the response to treatment and the reasons for it are known. Since doing so was the ultimate purpose of the DSM, after over half a century of failure it is time to call it a failure. The DSM can only be replaced by an evidence-based and more useful alternative.
Modeling processes of change within the person over time and then and only then comparing one person’s pathway to others’ is what we propose. We call it “idionomics.” Process-based understandings of particular people that are identified longitudinally with high density information and then clustered into groups can arguably replace the DSM.
What advice would you give to expiring authors in the field of psychology who want to make a lasting impact?
People need to follow their heart. In my own case, I was interested in many topics that only came together later. Despite many strong urgings from my academic supervisors, I refused to abandon them. That meant I got virtually no raises for the first ten years of my academic career and my chair told me before I took a job elsewhere that my career would never amount to anything. I stuck to my guns simply because complying would mean no longer being interested in the work.
Thus, my advice. Be yourself. Follow your dreams and enjoy the process of pursuing them. Even if the outcomes you hope for never come, at least the journey will then have been about something.
EDITOR’S CHOICE
A Liberated Mind is a transformative, insightful guide, offering practical tools to embrace vulnerability and live a deeply meaningful life.
