Empirical validation and the importance of testable theory: a paradigm shift in psychotherapy?

In response to the recent special issue of the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis (Vol. 54, No. 4, "Cognitive Hypnotherapy: Twenty Years Later"), this commentary discusses: (1) the weak connection between cognitive science and cognitive behavioral therapy, and (2) the importance of coherent and testable theoretical underpinnings to the practice of psychotherapy. The author briefly introduces Relational Frame Theory (RFT), which postulates that strategies to control, manage, or extinguish language based internal experience are unlikely to be successful. Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a mindful and acceptance based empirically supported approach to creating client psychological flexibility. ACT underpinned by RFT is suggestive of a paradigm shift in psychotherapy to a mindfulness and acceptance approach to internal experience.