What and Why of REACT

What is REACT?

As a counseling intern, I saw clients for individual therapy in agency and school setting, and had some exposure to couples and family therapy. After doing X number of progress notes in soap format, I began to notice common themes and patterns cropping up in what was said in session and my assessments of clients.

Clients would present with challenging emotions and connected to these emotions would be patterns of negative thinking such as self-defeating thoughts and thoughts of resentment. And, at least in my limited experience, I found that the process of change would be activated when a client could reflect on their thoughts in an objective rather than emotionally-driven way.

At least for all my clients, the thought patterns always boiled down to the common themes of: Respect, Empathy, Acceptance, Courage, Trust, and a client’s capacity in these areas. -J

Respect: how much do we respect ourselves and others? Having self-respect is recognizing that we have value/worth despite our failures or social status. Respecting others is recognizing that others deserve our respect despite how much we think they have failed.

Empathy: how much empathy are we giving ourselves? How much empathy are we giving others? Empathy is seeking to understand ourselves or others by giving space rather than pre-judging and jumping to conclusions about ourselves or others. Or, do we presume to know what others are thinking?

Acceptance: are we accepting that we are human therefore limited? Are we accepting that others are not perfect? How well do we accept that we can’t do everything on our own? Do we accept that here’s such a thing as authority?

Courage: do we acknowledge that it takes courage to make healthy choices? Do we have the courage to be vulnerable? Do we know where are our courage comes from? 

Trust: do we trust that there is more to life than we presently know? Do we trust that things can get better for us?

Using R.E.A.C.T. as a template or inventory to reflect on emotion-driven thoughts is essentially a mindfulness exercise of objectivity, building self-awareness of thought rather than perpetuating what is emotion-driven and being stuck in a negative loop. A client’s constant negative anger-driven thoughts of his wife of “what’s wrong with her?” “why does she have to be that way?” reframed with R.E.A.C.T. would be “I am lacking in my ability to accept that she is limited and less than perfect,” “I am lacking in trust that things can get better.” “I am jumping to conclusions about her rather than seeking to understand her”, “I am afraid the being vulnerable makes me open to being attacked.”

Reframing thought with R.E.A.C.T. engages a client in cognition which is what is needed for grounding (as opposed to perpetuating the emotion-driven thinking) as well as what is necessary for facing the problem at hand (as opposed to escaping it). The process of change would be complete when the client would then realize what areas of R.E.A.C.T. they needed to strengthen to better navigate through their emotions, and experience a sense of agency over their problems.

High School REACT

I think it is important to use REACT in mental health education for our 8th graders to understand the connection between their thoughts and emotions, and grow in self-awareness. Being attentive to the common themes of REACT promotes a sense of agency – that there are areas that are within their control when it comes to mental health challenges. Having a system or toolkit of conceptualizing mental health and finding patterns in our thought offers a sense of agency. One way to help 8th graders visualize REACT as a system or toolkit is offering the metaphor of a sailboat. 

Challenging emotions and external factors of life are like the waves in the ocean and stormy weather. We are the sailboat and each R, E, A, C, T are the parts of our sailboat. When navigating through the rocky waves and stormy weather, there is much within our control. How well we are attentive to each of the parts, such as using the rudder of Respect to steer, will have an impact on our mental health outcomes. How much of the sail of Trust we allow to be opened up will allow us to capture the windpower needed to power through. And so on.

Emotions

Emotions are the waves. You are the sailboat. Waves come in all shapes and sizes. They are not totally random. With knowledge and experience, we can begin to detect patterns in our emotions and anticipate how they affect us. With knowledge and experience, we know what adjustments we must make in response to our emotions to stay balanced. Ignore the waves when on a sail boat and your risk of capsizing increases dramatically. Ignore your emotions, and the risk of meltdown and adding unnecessary drama to your life increases dramatically. Allow yourself the space to experience your emotions, understand how they impact your decisions. It sounds easier said than done and there is going to be a lot of trial and error (after all, understanding your mental health is a process of scientific discovery), but you will dramatically improve your odds of navigating through life’s challenges when you are mindful of your emotions, give space to yourself to feel them and discern what adjustments you need to make to stay balanced.. And don’t forget Mark 4:41*.

How do emotions affect me?

Our emotions interact with our thoughts and behavior and choices. As human beings, we have an emotional side as well as a cognitive side. Emotions are like the waves. Our cognitive side is like the sailboat. Our cognitive side is where we exercise our willpower and make decisions. Sometimes like a big tidal wave, our emotions hold significant power over our ability to make good choices.

I thought it was our thoughts that affect our emotions?

Sure, the content of our thoughts could have an impact on how we experience our emotions. And, we can certainly add to the choppiness of waves (ever been on a small rowboat when suddenly a big speedboat zips by and creates a wake and almost topples you over?). However, it is helpful to simply think of emotions as external. Like the waves. After all, it is a mystery where they come from. Emotions are not voluntary. Although we may try to change our emotions through medication, substance, or music.. Ultimately, we don’t have choice over which emotions to have. This is the reasoning to why feeling a particular emotion is not considered a sin.

But, I find it hard to believe that I have control over my thoughts?

For mental health, it is important to distinguish what is in your control and what is not. We have control over our thoughts. If this comes as a surprise, trust that you can get better at it. An analogy can be made to driving a car or sailing a boat. 

So, I’m supposed to just sit with my emotions..and then what?

The key is to acknowledge that your emotions are valid. Allow yourself to sit with your emotions and feel them. However painful they are. It is not only OK to acknowledge them, but it is a matter of survival to acknowledge them.

And then what?

Then think about how they are affecting your thoughts and choices.

OK, that’s it?

Yes, each time you experience a challenging emotion, you will grow in your capacity for positive mental health, by being mindful of your emotions and how they affect your thoughts and choices. The more you are attentive to the interaction of emotions and thought and behavior, the better you will be able to read the patterns of emotions coming your way, ride out the choppy waves, and navigate around them without adding to the waves. This is a practice of mental health hygiene. Yes, mental health

hygiene…just as getting good exercise and eating healthy foods and washing is good hygiene for physical health. (R.E.A.C.T. is a helpful approach and easy-to-remember way to discern your thoughts and behavior when experiencing a turbulent emotion.)

*Mark 4:41?

They were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”