Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), pronounced as a single word, is a unique and empowering form of cognitive-behavioural therapy that focuses on psychological flexibility. Unlike traditional therapies that aim to reduce or eliminate painful thoughts and feelings, ACT teaches you to accept what is out of your control and commit to action that improves your life.

ACT is about changing your relationship with your difficult internal experiences, not eliminating them.

Why Fighting Your Feelings Makes Things Worse

The core problem, according to ACT, is "experiential avoidance"—the struggle to avoid, suppress, or change unwanted private experiences (thoughts, feelings, sensations). While avoidance works in the short term (e.g., avoiding heights), it creates greater suffering and limits your life in the long run (e.g., you can't go to your friend's party on the 10th floor).

ACT shifts the focus away from this futile fight by teaching psychological flexibility, which involves six core processes working together:

1. Acceptance (A)

This is the process of actively opening yourself up and making room for painful thoughts, feelings, and sensations, without trying to change them or fight them. Acceptance is not resignation; it is a deliberate choice to stop struggling with what you cannot control right now.

2. Defusion (C)

This involves "cognitive defusion," which means stepping back from your thoughts and seeing them as just words or mental events, not as absolute truths or commands. Instead of saying, "I am a failure," you learn to say, "I am having the thought that I am a failure." This separates you from the thought.

3. Being Present (T)

This is about contacting the present moment fully and non-judgmentally. It involves using mindfulness skills to direct your attention to what is happening right here, right now, rather than getting lost in past regrets or future worries.

Committing to Your Values

Once you stop fighting your internal experiences, ACT turns its focus toward building a rich, meaningful life. This involves the other three components of psychological flexibility:

4. Self-as-Context

This process helps you understand that your thoughts and feelings are constantly changing, but your observing self—the quiet space inside you that notices those thoughts—remains stable. This gives you a sense of continuity and perspective beyond your passing mental chatter.

5. Values

Values are what you choose to stand for in life—qualities like courage, honesty, kindness, or connection. They are your deepest desires for how you want to behave. ACT helps you clarify what truly matters to you, separate from what society or others expect.

6. Committed Action

This final stage is about taking effective, concrete steps guided by your clarified values. This means moving forward even when the painful thoughts or feelings are present. If you value "connection," committed action might mean making a difficult phone call, even if anxiety is present.

What is ACT Used For?

ACT is highly versatile and effective for addressing many issues where emotional avoidance is a core factor:

• Anxiety and Depression: It teaches clients to live a meaningful life with their anxious or depressive feelings, rather than waiting for the feelings to disappear before they can start living.

• Chronic Pain and Illness: It helps clients accept the presence of pain and commit to activities that improve quality of life despite the physical symptoms.

• Trauma: It supports trauma recovery by helping clients accept difficult memories and sensations without letting them dictate current behaviour.

• Addictions and Habits: It helps clients accept urges and cravings without acting on them, choosing instead to act on their life values.

ACT empowers you by confirming that you are not "broken." You are simply struggling with a normal human tendency to avoid pain. By learning to soften, open up, and commit to what matters, you can build a more vibrant and meaningful life.