This metaphor invites clients to imagine themselves as the shoreline, stable and grounded, while their emotions are like the tide—waves that naturally rise, crest, and recede. The purpose is to shift the function of emotional experience from something to control or escape toward something to hold with compassion and curiosity. The shore does not resist the tide; it allows movement and change, trusting the natural ebb and flow.
Used in session, this image helps evoke acceptance, self-as-context, and values-based stability. Clients learn that pain, like water, moves — and that their capacity to stand as the shore (rather than fight the waves) creates space for choice and direction even during strong emotional surf.
Primary ACT Processes:
- Acceptance / Willingness
- Self-as-Context
- Present-Moment Awareness
- Values (anchoring in what matters during emotional storms)
Functional Aim:
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