Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a type of behavioral therapy that employs various mindfulness strategies to help individuals confront and accept life’s challenges. Established in the late 198s, ACT has proven effective in treating a range of mental health issues and psychological disorders
What is ACT?
Encourages individuals to embrace negative thoughts and feelings, enabling to select a meaningful path for action and promote positive change. Instead of trying to eliminate unwanted experiences, ACT fosters a mindful relationship with them, enhancing psychological flexibility and alignment with personal values.
How does ACT work?
Utilises experiential exercises to reduce the impact of harmful emotional, cognitive, and behavioral patterns, helping individuals reshape their relationship with distressing thoughts and feelings. By counteracting "experiential avoidance"—the tendency to escape unpleasant thoughts—ACT offers a sustainable path to health and happiness, typically conducted in one-on-one or group sessions using metaphors, visualizations, and behavioral assignments. The number and duration of sessions vary based on individual needs, with overall treatment usually being brief.
The ACT model
Includes core processes that counselors typically follow, conceptualizing each area as a positive psychological skill rather than a means to avoid negative thoughts and feelings.
The acronym summarizing the ACT model is:
- Accept your thoughts and feelings and be present.
- Choose a valued direction.
- Take action.
The six core therapeutic processes illustrate ACT as a blend of mindfulness and behavioral therapy, with each process supporting the others to help individuals overcome their challenges.
Acceptance
Taught as an alternative to experiential avoidance, encouraging individuals to embrace painful feelings and experiences without attempting to alter their frequency form. ACT clients learn to let go of their internal struggles, can help them develop coping strategies.
Cognitive defusion
Known as emotional separation, involves techniques that change the impact of thoughts and feelings. This may include encouraging individuals to visualise their unwanted problems in specific forms, helping them to re-contextualise uncomfortable memories and relate to them differently.
Contacting the present moment
Encourages clients to be psychologically present, making a conscious effort to connect with current experiences. By experiencing the world more directly, individuals can achieve greater flexibility in their thoughts and behaviors, aligning their actions with personal values.
The observing self
The mind is seen as having two parts:
The 'thinking self,' which encompasses thoughts and judgments.
The 'observing self,' which focuses on attention and awareness.
The observing self fosters mindfulness skills, allowing individuals to aware of their experiences without attachment, aiding in acceptance and cognitive defusion.
Values
Guiding qualities that individuals live by and are crucial for setting ACT goals. Various exercises help clients identify a life direction across different domains, such as family and career, derived from acceptance, defusion, and-moment awareness.
Committed action
Involves setting specific goals that align with an individual's chosen values. Commitment to these goals is vital for fostering changes that lead to greater well-being and fulfillment. This process includes elements of traditional behavioral therapy, such as skill acquisition and goal setting, often requiring homework between sessions to address psychological barriers.
What can ACT help with?
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Obsessions and compulsions
- Trauma
- Addictions
- Eating disorders
- Psychotic symptoms
The mindfulness components of ACT also enhance athletic and business performance.
Unlike many coaching and therapy models that focus on meditation, ACT employs diverse tools to teach mindfulness strategies, making it a more accessible approach for those seeking to master mindfulness efficiently.