Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT,  encourages clients to accept and embrace their thoughts and feelings while also committing to facing their problems head-on rather than avoiding them. Research has shown that individuals struggling with anxiety, depression, OCD, or substance use can benefit from ACT. 

ACT combines acceptance with mindfulness and commitment to enhance the psychological flexibility of clients. ACT states that acceptance is the active choice we make to allow our inner thoughts and feelings to occur without judgement or alteration. Acceptance allows us to become more aware of our inner states. 

This creates the flexibility for us to realise that we are not the product of what happens to us. Rather, we have power in how we experience what happens to us.This flexibility allows us to evaluate our values and consider how we can act in the present moment or in the future. Lastly, the final step of ACT is to commit to the action(s) we have chosen.