Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Los Angeles

For more than a century, Los Angeles has been “producing” culture - shaping trends, lifestyles, and what we have come to recognize as modern life. Yet with modernity comes mounting demands. Stress, anxiety, low mood, and even substance misuse have become increasingly common experiences. In response to these growing challenges, the field of mental health has developed a range of evidence-based treatment approaches. One such approach is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT.

ACT is a psychotherapy that focuses on building mindfulness, acceptance, and commitment toward action. So, it becomes a powerful tool in treating substance use and co-occurring mental health conditions.

Acceptance and commitment therapy, or ACT, is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) that focuses on accepting your thoughts and emotions, rather than denying, avoiding, or fighting them. The understanding here is that when you accept yourself as you are, you can commit to actionable change.

ACT was developed by Dr. Steven C. Hayes in the 1980s, who built it from scratch based on his own struggles with panic attacks.

Linda Whiteside, Clinical Supervisor at the NuView Treatment Center, says, “Accepting yourself to move toward change may sound like the 'curious paradox’, but when you think about it, it makes sense. ACT says that what we think or feel does not need fixing; rather, they must be experienced fully for us to become conscious and move forward.”

ACT is rooted in something known as the relational frame theory (RFT), which postulates that suffering comes from how we use cognition and language. For instance, someone might think and say, “I am good for nothing!” and this spills over to how they lead their daily life.

What ACT seeks to do with its six core processes is to promote psychological flexibility toward a healthier, meaningful life:

1. Cognitive Defusion - You learn to detach yourself from those thoughts and emotions that are not healthy or productive, instead of considering them as the reality.
2. Acceptance - You acknowledge, allow, accommodate, and appreciate your difficult thoughts and emotions instead of denying, avoiding, or fighting them.
3. Being Present - You become more connected to your here and now by practicing and harnessing the power of mindfulness in your day-to-day life and activities.
4. Self-as-Context - You understand that your thoughts and emotions do not define who you are, as in they are not the whole and sole of your identity.
5. Values Clarification - You look within to identify your personal principles that are going to inform your actions.
6. Committed Action - You take actionable steps toward your goals based on your principles.

Linda Whiteside says, “As you can see, you can tell that ACT teaches you to change how you relate to negative thoughts and feelings. You do not have to suppress or fight them anymore. This meaningful shift in your perspective and life builds resilience to lead a productive life despite the ups and downs.”

ACT has two main goals - to enhance psychological flexibility and a meaningful life built on the basis of your own principles.

Toward this - ACT reduces avoidance/fighting your thoughts and feelings and uses mindfulness and actionable change.

• Reducing Experiential Avoidance: When you avoid difficult thoughts and emotions, they show in your daily life and behaviors. By acknowledging, you separate them from who you are.
• Mindfulness: You use mindfulness to stay connected to your present instead of dwelling on distressing thoughts and impulsive behavior.
• Actionable Change: You collaborate with your therapist to identify your personal principles and build a meaningful life based on them.

ACT can be used to treat a wide spectrum of mental health conditions and also cope with certain physical conditions:

• Anxiety-related symptoms and disorders
• Major depressive disorder, commonly known as depression
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder, commonly known as OCD
• Alcohol and drug misuse
• Eating disorders
• Psychosis
• Stress and anger management
• Chronic pain.

ACT focuses on psychological flexibility and meaningful life to provide the following benefits:

• Symptom Reduction: Reduces substance use and mental health-related symptoms to increase the quality of life.
• Emotion Regulation: ACT uses acceptance and mindfulness to promote emotion regulation, wherein your difficult thoughts or emotions do not dictate your identity or day-to-day life.
• Strengthens Relationships: You learn to foster empathy and use better communication skills in cultivating strong interpersonal relationships.
• Meaningful Life: You build a life that is aligned with your principles, so that you can experience peace and positive growth.

Yes, ACT is a highly effective therapy. In fact, studies show that it can be just as effective as CBT - the gold standard of therapy - in treating anxiety and depressive symptoms.

A recent meta-analysis showed that it can be highly effective in treating OCD. It has also been known to be effective in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain.

Linda Whiteside says, “At our Los Angeles treatment center, we have seen that ACT can reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms up to 80%, while also promoting lasting recovery from substance use in combination with other therapies.”

If you are considering ACT in Los Angeles, here is a gist of what you can expect:

• First Session: You will learn what ACT is and identify the concerns and goals you want to work with.
• Following Sessions: You work through the six core processes of ACT - from cognitive defusion to values clarification, as you focus on committed action to build a life you can embrace.
• In Between Sessions: You will have to work on mindfulness and make value-based changes. You may even receive homework assignments.

In the long run, you will see that ACT brings value-driven changes as you move beyond the distressing thoughts and emotions that are impeding your daily life and functioning, to foster a positive sense of self and resilience.

ACT in Los Angeles is provided face-to-face and in telehealth sessions. At NuView, we also integrate ACT into a broader range of rehab options for substance use and mental health.

If you are considering therapy in Los Angeles, then acceptance and commitment therapy can be a good option for you. At NuView, our therapists specialize in ACT and personalize the therapeutic experience to your needs and goals so that your healing journey is meaningful to you.

Please reach out to us at (323) 307-7997 to connect with our ACT experts today!

1. What is acceptance and commitment therapy?

Acceptance and commitment therapy, or ACT, is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy that focuses on promoting acceptance, mindfulness, and value-driven change toward a healthier life.

2. What are the 4 A's of ACT?

The 4 A’s of ACT are - acknowledge, allow, accommodate, and appreciate.

3. Is ACT effective?

Yes, ACT is effective in treating substance use and mental health conditions, like anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD, chronic pain, and so on.

4. How long does ACT last?

ACT can last from anywhere between one to several weekly sessions, depending on your symptoms, needs, and goals.

5. Is ACT covered by insurance?

When ACT is integrated into broader recovery options, like rehab, it is covered by insurance. Otherwise, you will have to contact your insurance provider to understand your coverage. You can also call NuView at (323) 307-7997, and we can verify your insurance for you.