Updated 12/20/2022.
What is ACT Therapy?
When is ACT Therapy Used?Psychotherapists are always seeking opportunities to develop interventions and solutions to help their clients overcome mental health obstacles. That’s where acceptance and commitment therapy comes in. ACT aims to create recovery and prevention opportunities to address difficult thoughts, negative emotions, and challenging memories. It was specifically developed to treat mental health issues through skill building, and it proved effective in treating various challenges, both serious and mild, including:Workplace stressDepressionAnxietyObsessive-compulsive disorderSubstance abusePsychosisChronic painEating disordersDiabetes
When is ACT Therapy Used?
Psychotherapists are always seeking opportunities to develop interventions and solutions to help their clients overcome mental health obstacles. That’s where acceptance and commitment therapy comes in. ACT aims to create recovery and prevention opportunities to address difficult thoughts, negative emotions, and challenging memories. It was specifically developed to treat mental health issues through skill building, and it proved effective in treating various challenges, both serious and mild, including:
How Does ACT Therapy Work?
All humans experience unwanted thoughts and uncomfortable emotions. The goal of acceptance and commitment therapy is to move away from defining those experiences as “problems,” and instead increase your cognitive flexibility when they undoubtedly occur. ACT is agrief therapy techniquethat aims to reframe difficult emotions, viewing them not as a source of pain, but as a normal part of living a full life. ACT therapy employs techniques like mindfulness, alignment with personal values, and commitment to action to transform the way we think and combat negative thoughts and feelings.
According to theAssociation for Contextual Behavioral Science, there are six core processes of ACT that provide the blueprint for treatment. Each of the following ACT techniques are psychological skills built over the course of treatment in ACT therapy.
Acceptance
This skill involves embracing your past memories despite how uncomfortable they may make you feel now. In practice, a therapist will work with someone who has anxiety to teach them how to feel anxious, without any hesitation or defense, and let go of the struggle to suppress it.
Cognitive defusion
Being present
This is the practice of being aware of the present moment, and is a skill that focuses on experiencing what is happening without trying to judge, predict, or alter that experience. It teaches you to actively encourage a non-judgemental, ongoing description of your own thoughts and feelings.
Self as context
Rooted in the belief that a person is more than the sum of their experiences, thoughts or emotions, this skill focuses on the self outside of any one memory or moment. In practice, this involves bringing an awareness to how different experiences and memories come and go without developing an attachment to them.
Values
These are the qualities we choose to work toward, whether consciously or unconsciously. ACT therapy uses different exercises to help a person make life choices that align with their personal values, while distancing them from making choices based on experiential avoidance or social pressure.
Committed action
One of ACT’s goals is to help someone commit to taking actions that help them reach their long-term goals. Unlike values, which are at the core of who a person is but not tangible achievements, these are concrete goals that help drive behavior changes over long periods of time.
Mindfulness and ACT
Being able to quiet intrusive thoughts that creep into your mind and focus instead on your surroundings and present moment can help promote a feeling of calm. This is the idea behind mindfulness. When you start to take note of your breathing, for instance, it can help you feel more in control of your body and can even have a positive physical impact — your shoulders might relax and your head may start to feel clear.Studiesalso find that mindfulness can improve mood, increase positive emotions, decrease anxiety, and improve emotional reactivity.
How to Find an ACT Therapist?
When starting your search for an ACT therapist, look for a licensed and experienced therapist or professional counselor who has gone through ACT training. While there is no official certification for therapists providing ACT, mental-health professionals can gain skills in this area through peer counseling, workshops and other training programs. Be sure to ask about their experience and approach during your initial conversation.
There are resources available to help you find therapists trained in ACT:
Sources:1. Hayes S. The Six Core Processes of ACT | Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. contextualscience.org. https://contextualscience.org/the_six_core_processes_of_act2. Find an ACT Therapist | Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. contextualscience.org. Accessed September 19, 2022. https://contextualscience.org/civicrm/profile?gid=17&reset=1&force=1
Sources:
Hayes S. The Six Core Processes of ACT | Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. contextualscience.org. https://contextualscience.org/the_six_core_processes_of_act
Find an ACT Therapist | Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. contextualscience.org. Accessed September 19, 2022. https://contextualscience.org/civicrm/profile?gid=17&reset=1&force=1
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