About ACT

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)


What is ACT?


Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a an approach to psychotherapy that draws on both traditional behavioral psychology and meditative practices such as mindfulness. ACT was originally developed for treating anxiety and depression, but the principles of ACT can be applied to a broad range of human concerns, including marital/relationship therapy. This approach is supported by extensive ongoing research that confirms the effectiveness of this therapeutic approach.


The power of language


ACT addresses the ways in which people are influenced by the power of  language, which shapes and organizes our experiences and our reactions to the world. Thoughts, judgements, opinions, images, fantasies, emotions and memories are filtered by language. We are continually narrating our experiences in our minds, much like a documentary film-maker who chronicles the subject matter of a movie. We choose to notice certain features while ignoring others, much like a film-maker does in the editing room.


Getting entangled in our stories


It's easy to get caught up or entangled in the narratives that we create. From the ACT perspective, this entanglement process may cause one to relate to thoughts, feelings and experiences in a rigid, limited way, and it may prevent one from living a life that is more in line with one's deeper values. Entanglement with the story often grows as one struggles against uncomfortable emotions or difficult situations. This may prompt one to avoid painful or uncomfortable experiences. The more one struggles to get away from uncomfortable experiences, the the bigger the discomfort seems to get, and this often contributes to psychological suffering.


Core skills


ACT encourages the development of a skill called mindfulness, which promotes psychological flexibility and helps to increase one's awareness and acknowledgement of the present moment. ACT focuses on six core skills, which are:


1. Cognitive Defusion: Here one learns to look at thoughts, judgements, images, emotions and memories for what they are, not what they appear to be.
2. Acceptance: This does not mean "giving up." Acceptance is the ability to acknowledge thoughts, judgements, images, emotions and memories while allowing them to simply come and go, without struggling with them.
3. Contact with the present moment: This is awareness the here and now with an attitude of openness, interest and receptiveness.
4. Observing the self: This means taking the perspective of observation, noticing what's happening without getting caught up or lost in what's happing.
5. Values: These are the things you need to live an enjoyable, fulfilling life. Discovering one's values means discovering what is most important to one's true self.
6. Committed action: This involves setting goals that are consistent with one's values and carrying them out responsibly.


ACT skills are relatively easy to learn and practice. I primarily recommend ACT for clients whose emotional concerns are mild to moderate in severity. Individuals with more severe symptoms may benefit from EMDR as well.

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