I have been conducting several nonviolent crisis trainings for school staff this summer. We spend time going over verbal and nonverbal techniques, personal safety, and learning to work in teams when engaging an agitated or potentially acting out individual. As my trainings have evolved I have been using the two loops around the matrix both as a teaching tool and as a prevention intervention. the two loops refer to an individual matrix for the individual and a second for the group.

In a crisis the behaviors and attitudes of those intervening influence the behaviors and attitudes of the acting out person. Now that also works the other way as the acting out person influences those who come into five senses contact with him or her. What we have to offer those experiencing crisis is a context of flexibile words and actions.

We use the matrix on an individual level to promote psychological flexibility for staff and to get some noticing going. When we are able to accomplish this early on we can reduce the possibilities of escalation. In training we use the first loop of the matrix to enhance the development of effective crisis responses for each trainee. They incorporate the language of toward, away and lots of noticing into their skill set . We take turns practicing being stuck students and work toward flexibile staff responses. This works very nicely to  help staff come up with workable moves as well as to notice their personal hooks when dealing with noncompliant folks.

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We live in a world that bombards us daily with messages. “Live life to the fullest”, “Save for the future”, “Get your _____( fill in your favorite body part/organ function ) checked out.” In educational circles I hear “get your work done”, “grades are due by…”, “let’s talk about the plan for next year…”.

All of these messages come at us and rattle down inside of us. Then the “uh oh’s” show up or the “I better…” takes hold or “It’s too much” rears its ugly head inside of us. Trying to pay attention to all of this can just add to the stress and before you know it we are hooked or in what we in the ACT Matrix world call spinning in a “stuck cycle”. When this happens the mind wants words. It wants to know what to do and how to do it. It is working like crazy to get us out of the discomfort we feel and then all of our energy is dedicated to solving the problem in our heads.

The answers do not lie in our heads and if we can slow things down for a moment, get some noticing going, and let our experience kick in we literally can “come to our senses”. Our five senses. They can get short shrift when all of this figuring and strategizing is going on. Our minds may complicate things but our experiencing is really very simple. We do not need to analyze it. We just need to notice it.

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The cornerstone of ACT is promoting psychological flexibility, the ability to notice what is going on in and around you and to be able to keep moving toward who and what is important to you in the presence of what you find difficult or  to change direction if you need to. Psychological flexibility is the cornerstone of mental health and a core process of living a meaningful life.

The ACT Matrix is hands down the simplest psychological flexibility tool going. Walking through the diagram with a few respectful questions on a regular basis is the antidote to the inevitable internal and external obstacles we all encounter. It sets the context for productive learning.

Like any tool repeated use increases the chances of flexing people up. It doesn’t work instantly.Our minds want a quick fix but our experience tells us that change happens one behavior at a time.

Slow and steady builds a solid foundation for workable actions.

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On March 21 I was invited to present the Matrix to 14 aspiring and energetic school psychologists in Dr Karen Gischlar’s Advanced Interventions class. Lots of noticing and sorting was had by all. They are now “duly deputized” Matrix users who have experienced the psychological flexibility point of view and will hopefully use it to promote the same as they launch they careers.

Thanks Dr. Gischlar and Crew!