If you are searching for a way to assist your clients with painful emotions and thoughts, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) could be the ideal treatment option. This approach has proven successful in treating various psychological disorders.

ACT is a mindfulness-based approach that strives to help individuals be more present and flexible with their thoughts and emotions. Additionally, it instructs them on how to identify and express their values.

What is ACT?

ACT (Acceptance and Cognitive Therapy) is a type of psychotherapy that emphasizes accepting and embracing negative thoughts, feelings, or experiences instead of trying to suppress them. This approach may help people cope with various psychological disorders and conditions.

Contrary to CBT, which focuses on altering thoughts or behavior, ACT therapists work to help clients develop psychological flexibility so they can accept unwanted emotions and circumstances without resorting to destructive coping techniques.

ACT emphasizes that people’s bodies are designed to experience all forms of pain and emotion. Additionally, it motivates individuals to live life according to their values and objectives.

Therapists often begin therapy by helping patients identify their core values and beliefs, then discussing ways that these principles can be upheld in daily life. This type of approach has proven beneficial for individuals suffering from various mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, OCD, and eating disorders.

How does ACT work?

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy that emphasizes psychological flexibility. With this flexibility, you can more easily manage unwanted feelings, thoughts, and experiences while working toward your values and objectives.

Act (Accelerated Cognitive Therapy) aims to foster six interrelated and overarching psychological processes that can be applied to a range of unwanted experiences: acceptance, cognitive defusion, perspective taking, mindfulness, values-driven action and committed action. ACT has been proven effective in treating numerous mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression psychosis and substance abuse [28].

At an ACT session, your therapist will help you identify areas of negative thinking or discomfort that you want to make peace with while also emphasizing things you can change. They also work with you on understanding your core values and beliefs and teaching you how to live according to them.

What are the benefits of ACT?

ACT is an effective treatment that can assist people in managing negative emotions and thoughts, while decreasing the need for medication.

Through ACT therapy, patients learn how to accept and commit to their goals and values. This allows them to be more adaptable and open-minded towards change.

ACT has the primary benefit of helping patients combat anxiety and depression without medication. It teaches them how to alter their thoughts about symptoms so that they don’t take over their lives.

ACT can be an invaluable aid for those suffering from chronic pain. A study revealed that patients who took part in an ACT intervention experienced reduced symptoms and sick days compared to those without. It has even proven successful at helping individuals cope with PTSD. Since ACT is still relatively new, it’s important to determine if it’s suitable for you before beginning this therapy.

Who can benefit from ACT?

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a transdiagnostic, process-focused, flexible treatment that has demonstrated promising effects for various psychological disorders. It’s widely used in mental health, medical, and specialty care settings.

ACT seeks to develop and enhance psychological flexibility–the capacity to adjust thoughts and behavior according to core values and objectives. It also strives to promote greater mindfulness of internal experiences, emotions, and impulses.

The initial step in ACT is acceptance, which involves acknowledging difficult feelings without trying to change or “fix” them. While this process can take some time, the rewards can be worth the effort.

Another aspect of ACT is cognitive defusion, or the practice of distancing yourself from distressing thoughts and feelings. This can be beneficial because it allows you to view your thoughts and emotions as distinct from one another. With practice, cognitive defusion may lead to increased psychological flexibility by helping you maintain distance from both thoughts and emotions.