Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

There are so many different models of therapy and sometimes it can be overwhelming to try and figure out which would be the best fit for you. This is something that you will explore with your therapist in the early stages of your therapy sessions. It can be helpful to familiarize yourself with the different therapy approaches that your therapist is trained to help you determine what would work best for you. We have had done blog posts on DBT and CBT, which are more commonly known therapy approaches. Today we will focus on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy or ACT.

ACT has a very different approach towards anxiety from CBT however it is also been shown to have similar efficacy in treating anxiety. The goal of ACT is in its name, it teaches clients how to reduce the impact and influence of painful thoughts and feelings (acceptance) while taking action to build a life that’s full, rich and meaningful by developing an understanding of your personal values (commitment). Rather than challenging negative feelings, ACT encourages individuals to allow space for difficult emotions and learning not to overreact to them or avoid them. Within ACT clients come to accept that a full human life comes with a wide range of emotions, both pleasant and painful, and it is important to experience both.  

ACT was developed in the mid 1980’s by Professor Steven C. Hayes and has since been found to be effective for addressing several mental health area such as anxiety, depression, stress, and anger. ACT is known as “act” because at the core ACT is about taking action and acting in a way that is line with your core values. It encourages the client to get in touch with matters the most to them and using that as a way to guide and motivate them. The goal of ACT is to develop psychological flexibility. When one develops psychological flexibility they are no longer at the mercy of their emotions and have more control over the behaviour and can make healthy and adaptive choices.

There are six core therapeutic processes within ACT. Each of these processes contribute to the development of psychological flexibility so that you are able to focus on and engage with the present moment, making room you’re your values and acting in an effective way that is guided by your values.