SUPPORTING POSTSECONDARY STUDENTS WITH PERFORMANCE ANXIETY USING THE ACCEPTANCE AND COMMITMENT THERAPY
Performance anxiety is a frequent motive for consultation among postsecondary students. In this article, we discuss the role of experiential avoidance and cognitive fusion in performance anxiety, and explain how Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can help students cope with their anxiety differently. We illustrate the form this approach can take by presenting a group intervention developed in 2012 and offered in several postsecondary institutions in Quebec and France. We conclude this article by positioning this intervention within the student services framework proposed by the Canadian Association of College and University Student Services (CACUSS).