ACT-In-Context Note (AIC)

Todd Schmenk
May 13
2 min read

🔍 What Is the AIC Note?

The AIC Note (Act-in-Context) is a progress note format that goes beyond traditional documentation by embedding core principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Relational Frame Theory (RFT), and Functional Contextualism (FC). It helps clinicians track client progress while maintaining a clear view of the contextual and functional processes shaping behavior.

This format is especially useful in training, supervision, and for process-based treatment planning.

⚙️ Foundational Elements

RFT-Informed: Captures the client’s use of language and framing of problems.
FC-Grounded: Emphasizes the role of historical and situational context over symptom reduction.
ACT-Aligned: Highlights psychological flexibility processes as core targets.

📋 How to Use the AIC Note (8 Sections)

Section	Description	Example
1. Presenting Problem	Brief update or summary of current concern. Include home practice feedback if relevant.	“Client described increased anxiety and disrupted sleep over the past week.”
2. Name the Problem (Client's Words)	Use the client’s language. This helps clarify verbal framing and RFT dynamics.	“My anxiety is ruining my life.”
3. Functional Impact	What domains of life are affected? Look at how the behavior is working (or not working).	“Client hasn’t gone to work in two days and canceled weekend plans.”
4. Problem Severity	0–10 scale based on client’s or clinician’s judgment.	8
5. Contextual Variables	Internal/external triggers, events, relationships, history.	“Upcoming performance review triggered memories of past failures.”
6. Interventions / Processes Targeted	Identify ACT processes addressed and exercises used.	“Worked on defusion using ‘Name the Story’ exercise.”
7. Movement / Workability	Did the client move toward or away from values? What committed actions were made?	“Client emailed her resume to two jobs. Acknowledged discomfort and uncertainty.”
8. Planned Focus for Next Session	Identify the next process or experiential target.	“Return to values clarification and explore barriers to committed action.”

🧠 Tips for Effective Use

Keep language functional, not diagnostic.
Prioritize observables and actions over interpretations.
Use client phrasing to highlight relational framing.
Reflect back on prior AIC notes to guide flexible planning.
Make it a live document: this format is also a guide for shaping sessions.

🔄 Integration with Other Notes

The AIC Note builds upon:

SOAP Notes by retaining structure (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan).
Behavioral Notes by emphasizing context, function, and observable outcomes.

It is ideal for supervision—highlighting the “why” behind chosen interventions and allowing for collaborative refinement of therapeutic focus.

💬 Final Note

The AIC Note helps ACT practitioners maintain fidelity to psychological flexibility processes while tailoring intervention strategies to the client’s lived experience. It ensures clinical documentation becomes part of the therapeutic process—not just a record of it.