Unhooking from Your Thoughts: How Defusion from ACT Can Help You Heal from Anxiety and Trauma

If you’ve ever been stuck in a spiral of self-doubt, worst-case scenarios, or painful memories, you know how loud the mind can be. For those navigating anxiety or trauma, thoughts can feel overwhelming—sometimes even true or dangerous. One of the most powerful tools I use in therapy to help clients regain control is a concept from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) called defusion.

Defusion is not about eliminating negative thoughts. Instead, it’s about changing how we relate to them so they no longer dominate our lives.

What Is Defusion in ACT?

Defusion is the process of creating space between you and your thoughts. It means stepping back from your mind’s chatter and seeing thoughts as just that—mental events, not truths, commands, or threats.

When we’re “fused” with our thoughts, we believe them completely:

• “I’m not good enough.”

• “This panic will never stop.”

• “I’m broken because of what happened.”

• “If I let go, everything will fall apart.”

These thoughts feel real, and they dictate our behavior, even if they’re not helpful or accurate.

With defusion, we shift from believing our thoughts to observing them. This creates room to act based on our values—not our fears.

How Defusion Helps with Anxiety

Anxiety is often fueled by over-identifying with catastrophic or self-critical thinking. When we fuse with these thoughts, they become facts instead of passing mental weather.

Example #1: The Anxiety Thought Spiral

Fused thought: “I’m going to fail this interview and never get a job.”Result: You cancel the interview or obsessively overprepare, feeding the anxiety loop.

Defused version:“I’m noticing my mind is telling me a scary story about failure right now.”Result: You feel a little less consumed by the thought—and more able to show up with intention.

How to apply it in therapy:

• We practice naming the story (“Ah, there’s the ‘I’m not good enough’ thought again.”)

• Use mindfulness exercises to watch the thought pass like a cloud or leaf on a stream

• Say the thought slowly, in a silly voice, or while singing to reduce its grip

How Defusion Helps with Trauma

Trauma creates mental loops of fear, shame, or danger—even long after the event. Thoughts like “I should’ve done more,” “I deserved it,” or “I’m not safe” can feel fused into your identity.

Example #2: Trauma-Based Guilt

Fused thought: “It was my fault. I should have stopped it.”Result: You isolate, feel stuck in shame, and avoid triggers or help.

Defused version:“My mind is replaying a painful story right now because it’s trying to protect me—but that doesn’t mean it’s true.”Result: You gain a small but powerful pause to choose compassion instead of punishment.

In therapy, we might use:

• EMDR + ACT to process traumatic memories while practicing defusion in real time

• Visual metaphors, like watching painful thoughts float down a river

• Grounding in the present moment with the thought, rather than escaping it or over-identifying with it

Quick Defusion Tools You Can Try

🌀 “I’m having the thought that…”Instead of “I’m a failure,” try “I’m having the thought that I’m a failure.” It immediately creates space between you and the thought.

🌀 Name the storyGive repeated thoughts a title—like “The Anxiety Monster” or “The Shame Spiral.” You reduce their power by noticing patterns.

🌀 Silly voice techniqueSay your anxious thought in the voice of a cartoon character. This shifts how seriously your brain takes it.

🌀 Thank your mindWhen an intrusive thought pops up, say: “Thanks, mind.” It’s trying to protect you—even if it’s not helpful. This adds kindness to the defusion.

Defusion Isn’t About Denying Pain—It’s About Making Space for Healing

At Mindful Mountain Counseling, I specialize in trauma-informed, evidence-based care—blending ACT, EMDR, and mindfulness to help clients live fuller, freer lives. Defusion is one of the most empowering tools I teach because it reminds us that we are not our thoughts—we are the observers of them.

📞 Ready to take back your power? Call 602-615-0166.💻 Teletherapy available in Arizona, Idaho, Louisiana, South Dakota, Vermont, and Oregon.

You don’t have to stop your thoughts to feel better—you just have to stop believing everything they say. Let’s work together to unhook, heal, and move toward the life you truly want.