Self-As-Context: you are more than your thoughts
You are more than your thoughts, feelings, and labels. This course helps you step back and notice the part of you that observes your experiences without being defined by them.
Free to try · Responses are private & encrypted
Related tools
What does the Self-As-Context Mini Course cover?
Why you are more than your thoughts and labels, the conceptual self, the observing self and the difference between them, the sky and clouds metaphor, and simple ways to practise the observer perspective such as self-distancing language.
Who is this Self-As-Context Mini Course for?
Helpful if you:
🏷️ Define yourself by labels like anxious or a failure
🌊 Get swept up in your thoughts and feelings
🔭 Want to step back and observe what your mind is doing
For therapists:
Assign this course after defusion work in ACT so clients have the observer perspective before values and committed action. Their listed self-labels give ready material for self-as-context exercises in session. Fully HIPAA and GDPR compliant.
Dr Harriet Mellotte
Clinical Psychologist & CBT Therapist, BABCP
“Offload is a fantastic resource for both clients and therapists. The world of CBT has been lacking an app which enables the sharing of CBT worksheets and homework tasks between clients and therapists, but Offload completely does this, making the service we offer more professional and the benefits to clients greater.”
Frequently asked questions
What is self-as-context?
Self-as-context is the part of you that observes your thoughts, feelings and roles without being defined by them. In Acceptance and Commitment Therapy it is sometimes called the observing self. You are the sky; your thoughts and feelings are the weather passing through it.
How is this different from my thoughts about myself?
The stories you tell about yourself, such as I am shy or I am a failure, are what ACT calls the conceptual self. They feel like facts but they are just thoughts. The observing self is the constant awareness that has watched all those thoughts come and go, and it is not damaged by any of them.
How do I practise the observer perspective?
Small language shifts help: instead of I am so stressed, try I notice that I am feeling stressed. Ask what a wise observer would see. Mindfulness practices that watch thoughts arrive and leave build the skill over time. The course gives you several exercises to try.
Can my therapist assign this course?
Yes. Therapists on Offload can assign Self-As-Context after defusion work in ACT so clients have the observer perspective before values and committed action, and your listed self-labels give material for exercises in session. Your responses are available for them to review beforehand. Fully HIPAA and GDPR compliant.
Are you a therapist?
Assign this therapy tool and 200+ other interactive tools directly to your clients. Build personalised care plans, customise tools, and review client responses before sessions. HIPAA and GDPR compliant.
Explore Offload for therapistsReferences
Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K. D., & Wilson, K. G. (1999). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: An Experiential Approach to Behavior Change. Guilford Press. Hayes, S. C., Luoma, J. B., Bond, F. W., Masuda, A., & Lillis, J. (2006). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: Model, processes and outcomes. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 44(1), 1–25. Yu, L., Norton, S., & McCracken, L. M. (2017). Change in “self-as-context” predicts outcomes in ACT. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 6(2), 161–169.
