ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy)
Building Psychological Flexibility for a Meaningful Life
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a mindfulness-based behavioral therapy that uses acceptance and mindfulness strategies alongside commitment and behavior-change strategies to increase psychological flexibility.
What is ACT?
ACT (pronounced as the word "act," not the letters) is based on the idea that psychological suffering is often caused by experiential avoidance, cognitive entanglement, and the resulting psychological rigidity that leads to a failure to take needed behavioral steps.
The ACT Approach
Unlike traditional CBT which focuses on changing or challenging thoughts, ACT teaches you to:
- Accept what is out of your personal control
- Commit to action that improves and enriches your life
- Live according to your deepest values
The goal isn't to feel better, but to become better at feeling. ACT helps you develop psychological flexibility - the ability to be present, open up to experiences, and do what matters.
The Six Core Processes
These six interconnected processes work together to build psychological flexibility.
Acceptance
Embrace thoughts and feelings without trying to change them. Allow experiences to be as they are.
Cognitive Defusion
Learn to observe thoughts as mental events rather than literal truths. Create distance from unhelpful thinking.
Present Moment
Practice flexible awareness of the here and now. Be psychologically present in your life.
Self-as-Context
Recognize you are not your thoughts or feelings. You are the observer, the constant awareness behind experiences.
Values
Clarify what truly matters to you. Identify the qualities you want to embody and directions you want to move.
Committed Action
Take effective action guided by your values. Build patterns of behavior that serve your chosen life direction.
Psychological Flexibility
The central goal of ACT is to increase psychological flexibility - the ability to contact the present moment more fully as a conscious human being, and to change or persist in behavior when doing so serves valued ends.
What is Psychological Flexibility?
It means being able to:
- Be present and engaged with whatever you're doing
- Open up and make room for painful feelings, sensations, urges, and emotions
- See thoughts for what they are (just words or pictures) rather than what they claim to be
- Access a transcendent sense of self - the "you" that remains constant
- Clarify what matters most to you in life
- Take effective action guided by your values, even when it's difficult
Cognitive Defusion Techniques
Defusion helps you create distance from unhelpful thoughts without trying to change or eliminate them.
Naming the Story
Notice you're having the "I'm not good enough" story again.
Thank Your Mind
"Thanks mind, but I don't need that thought right now."
Silly Voices
Repeat the thought in a cartoon character voice to reduce its power.
Leaves on a Stream
Imagine placing each thought on a leaf and watching it float away.
Values vs. Goals
A key distinction in ACT is understanding the difference between values and goals:
Values
- Ongoing directions in life
- Never completed or "achieved"
- Example: "Being a loving parent"
- Like a compass pointing the way
Goals
- Specific achievements
- Can be completed or checked off
- Example: "Read bedtime stories tonight"
- Like destinations on the journey
Values guide your journey; goals are the steps you take along the way. Both are important in ACT.
Who Can Benefit from ACT?
ACT has been shown to be effective for a wide range of issues:
- Anxiety and worry
- Depression
- OCD
- Chronic pain
- Stress management
- Workplace issues
- Substance abuse
- General life enhancement
Important: This educational content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Live According to Your Values
Understanding ACT principles is just the beginning. Practice these skills with our interactive exercises and build a life of meaning and purpose.