Acceptance commitment therapy (ACT) is an approach used in psychology and psychotherapy employing mindfulness and acceptance-based techniques. ACT explores our experience and relationship to thoughts. It does not try to eliminate or challenge the content of thoughts directly.
Rather than seeing distress as something to be removed, controlled or avoided ACT invites people to consider and explore the experience of feeling it, and perhaps integrating and accepting it. This process may provide the possibility of reshaping our relationship to suffering.
ACT also concentrates on the choices that still exist despite the challenges and the values that are significant for you going forward and living your life more fully (1).
Although born out of a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) tradition, ACT focuses less on symptom reduction, as in other CBT approaches, and embraces its goal as being a process of moving towards living a life which is mindful and orientated towards the client’s values (2).
Like many other therapies ACT is fundamentally a talking therapy. It can be utilised to support people struggling to cope with difficult feelings, unchangeable conditions and events, chronic health conditions and those who are striving to align their lived experiences with their values (3).
ACT sometimes employs structured exercises and worksheets, therefore can be used for clients who prefer more structure to their sessions. For instance, clients may be asked to do experiential exercises to unfold, understand and perhaps broaden their perspectives. This may include a consideration of stories, metaphors and language games to help facilitate the enquiry.
Acceptance commitment therapy is offered by Susanna Petitpierre and Lucie Ramet.
If you are unsure of the type of therapy you need, you can search for a therapist here.
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