What Is ACT Therapy?
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a psychological intervention developed in the late 1980s by Steven Hayes. It is grounded in the belief that while the natural human tendency to avoid pain and seek pleasure may be helpful in some situations, it can also lead to inflexibility as well as psychological and emotional suffering when we are faced with the inevitable challenges and discomforts of life.
The core processes of ACT can be summarized using the acronym ACT:
- Accept Your Inner Experiences
- Make room for your unwanted thoughts and difficult emotions or sensations. Instead of trying to control or eliminate them, learn to acknowledge their presence and coexist with them.
- Choose Your Values
- Clarify your values and use them as a guide for decision-making and behaviour.
- Take Committed Action
- Engage in purposeful behaviours even in the presence of past or anticipated anxiety or other emotional challenges. Use specific techniques to achieve goals and create a rich and fulfilling life.
Techniques and approaches used in ACT may include mindfulness, cognitive defusion, acceptance, and committed action.
