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Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT therapy) is a mindfulness-based therapy approach that has shown to be effective in managing a wide range of clinical issues. ACT therapy gets its name from the core message of accepting what is and committing to personal action that aims to improve our lives. It operates on the basis that while there will be inevitable (and unavoidable) pain throughout life, there are ways we can still exist happily and even embrace these pitfalls.
ACT therapy acknowledges that when we observe our experiences — with openness and without judgement — painful sensations and thoughts begin to appear less threatening. It aims to teach us to stop avoiding, denying and struggling with our emotions and instead, accept that they are appropriate responses to certain situations.
This therapeutic approach is an extension of mindfulness, which aims to bring full awareness to the here and the now. Rather than running on ‘automatic’ or ‘getting lost’ in your thoughts, you become fully engaged in what you’re doing.
What are the six principles of acceptance and commitment therapy?
In ACT therapy, mindful practices and skills are divided into six subsets:
1. Acceptance
2. Cognitive defusion (a method used to create space between ourselves and our thoughts)
3. Contact with the present moment
4. The observing self (which teaches us to relinquish the power of painful thoughts and feelings and to take a more mindful approach to dealing with hardships)
5. Values (identifying these clarifies what’s important to us and the type of life we want to lead)
6. Committed action
Values are different from goals in that they aren’t about what we want to achieve but rather how we want to behave on an ongoing basis, and how we want to treat ourselves, others and the world around us. Ultimately, our values help us set effective action plans.
What is the difference between acceptance and commitment therapy and CBT?
ACT therapy differs from more traditional psychotherapies (like cognitive behavioural therapy) in that its goal is to transform our relationship with challenging thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, so that they are no longer viewed as ‘symptoms’. Instead, they’re seen to be merely uncomfortable or harmless. Through this process we can achieve symptom reduction.
Imagine a therapy where there is no direct attempt to reduce symptoms directly, and yet still achieves symptom reduction as a by-product of employing its skills. This is ACT therapy.
What is acceptance and commitment therapy used to treat?
ACT therapy is helpful for:
- Anxiety disorders
- Depression
- OCD
- Psychosis
- Chronic pain
- Substance abuse