Acceptance And Commitment Therapy (ACT)

While you can't always control how you feel, you can control how you respond. NuView's Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) allows you to accept your thoughts and emotions while empowering you to take actionable steps toward healing and personal growth.

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Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based, action-oriented psychotherapy. It allows you to deal with negative thinking and emotional patterns, events, and symptoms.

The crux of ACT therapy is acceptance. Acceptance that comes with agreeing your negative thinking, emotional, and behavioral patterns are appropriate responses to some events in life. However, that is not all. Acceptance also comes with a commitment to move forward in life by changing behaviors that need to be changed despite your feelings.

What Is Acceptance And Commitment Therapy (ACT)?

Acceptance and commitment (ACT) therapy is a third-wave cognitive behavioral therapy. It is mindful and action-oriented in that it stays focused on the present and actively deals with negative thinking patterns, emotional responses, symptoms, or behaviors. It aims for you to accept your negative thoughts and emotions.

Acceptance comes with the 4 As – acknowledge, allow, accommodate, and appreciate. With acceptance, you can commit to moving past these negative thoughts and emotions and going forward in life by focusing on developing productive behavioral patterns.

ACT therapy was developed by Steven C. Hayes in the 1980s and has a bit of a personal backstory. The idea of ACT emerged from his own history of panic attacks, as he came to believe that he must come to terms with them instead of running away from them. He believed in truly experiencing these emotions rather than dwelling or directly managing them. He proposed that acceptance comes with a commitment to moving toward healing.

How Does ACT Therapy Work?

Acceptance and commitment therapy works on the basis of being open, centered, and engaged. In a nutshell, these three pillars mean that the ACT therapy:

Requires being open: accepting life as it is and welcoming its experiences.
Is centered: stay in contact with the present rather than dwelling too much on the past.
Is engaged: action-oriented with a commitment toward changing behaviors that are maladaptive and moving forward in life.

The above three pillars inform ACT. Meanwhile, it uses six processes:

Acceptance:

It involves experiencing and accepting your thoughts and emotions, no matter how distressing they are, instead of denying or avoiding them.

Cognitive Defusion:

Cognitive defusion is distancing yourself from distressing thoughts and emotions, which also changes your reactions to them. You observe a thought from a neutral point of view, like singing it out in a silly manner, and noting down your automatic reaction to it.

Self As Context:

Self as context means the self acting as an observer. You will learn to observe thoughts as being separate from your actions. You can engage with these thoughts and feelings without getting too caught up in them.

Contact With The Present Moment:

It means being mindful - being connected with your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings. It makes you more aware of how your past experiences or conditioning affect you in a negative manner.

Values:

You identify values or principles central to your life. Basically, what you stand for. Identifying values will serve as a motivation for being engaged and taking action.

Committed Action:

Just as it says, you act to change your life for the better and move closer to your values with every step you take.

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When Is Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Used?

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

What are the Benefits of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?

One of the primary benefits of acceptance and commitment therapy is that it enhances your psychological flexibility. What this means is that you can acknowledge your thoughts and emotions as they are and discard them if you find them unhelpful. Psychological flexibility allows you to experience higher functioning despite mental health symptoms and even significantly reduce them.

ACT therapy also promotes self-awareness and self-compassion. As you learn more about yourself, you develop a solid relationship with yourself where you treat yourself with respect, empathy, and kindness.

How Effective Is ACT Therapy?

Acceptance and commitment therapy is effective. Initial studies have shown that ACT therapy has been effective in the treatment of anxiety, depression, substance use, and transdiagnostic groups. It has also been effective when it comes to coping with chronic pain.

While there is strong evidence regarding the effectiveness of ACT therapy, it is also limited. Further research is required to identify its strengths, weaknesses, and areas of improvement.

What To Expect In Acceptance And Commitment Therapy (ACT)?

When starting with acceptance and commitment therapy, knowing what to expect from the sessions will allay a few anxieties.

The first visit is like your first appointment with a doctor. You will be asked some questions to understand your background, challenges, and your reasons for seeking out ACT therapy. Then, there will be some forms to fill out, like medical history, medication details, privacy forms, insurance details, and a client-therapist agreement.

The subsequent sessions will involve identifying personal values as well as those behaviors that are not aligned with your values, and applying the six processes to help you take action and move forward in your life. Mindfulness exercises can also be incorporated into the sessions.

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How To Find A Good ACT Therapist?

With acceptance and commitment therapy, the first step is to find a good ACT therapist. A good ACT therapist is a licensed mental health practitioner with advanced training in acceptance and commitment therapy. This can be time-consuming and also seem tricky, especially if it is your first time. At the NuView Treatment Center, our team will align you with the right ACT therapist. We take time to understand your unique lived experiences, needs, and goals so as to connect you with a therapist who can best facilitate your healing journey.

We also encourage you to voice any questions or concerns regarding therapy and confer with your primary healthcare provider, family members, friends, or other trusted persons as well.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What are the 4 A's of acceptance and commitment therapy?

A: The 4 A’s of acceptance and commitment therapy are – acknowledge, allow, accommodate, and appreciate.

Q2. What are the three pillars of acceptance and commitment therapy?

A: The 3 pillars of acceptance and commitment therapy are to be open, centered, and engaged.

Q3. What are the 6 processes of acceptance and commitment therapy?

A: The 6 processes of acceptance and commitment therapy are acceptance, cognitive defusion, self as context, contact with the present moment, identifying values, and committed action.

What Is Acceptance And Commitment Therapy (ACT)?
How Does ACT Therapy Work?
When Is Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Used?
What are the Benefits of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?
How Effective Is ACT Therapy?
What To Expect In Acceptance And Commitment Therapy (ACT)?
How To Find A Good ACT Therapist?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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About the Writer

Linda Whiteside, LPCC

Clinical Supervisor, NuView Treatment Center

Meet Linda Whiteside, MA, LPCC, a seasoned Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with over a decade of unwavering commitment to delivering top-notch mental health services to those seeking recovery from substance abuse and mental health disorders. She has developed and led programs like "Houses of Healing" and is a Certified Grief Specialist. Linda is committed to helping individuals and families find healing through compassion, understanding, and self-forgiveness.

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Your healing journey deserves a personalized approach. At NuView, we integrate expertise in behavioral therapy, mental health, and substance use treatment to create a customized recovery plan tailored to your unique needs.

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Acceptance And Commitment Therapy (ACT)

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Contents

What Is Acceptance And Commitment Therapy (ACT)?

How Does ACT Therapy Work?

Acceptance:

Cognitive Defusion:

Self As Context:

Contact With The Present Moment:

Values:

Committed Action:

Get Started With Nuview Treatment Center

When Is Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Used?

What are the Benefits of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?

How Effective Is ACT Therapy?

What To Expect In Acceptance And Commitment Therapy (ACT)?

Get Started With Nuview Treatment Center

Contact Us Today

How To Find A Good ACT Therapist?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What are the 4 A's of acceptance and commitment therapy?

Q2. What are the three pillars of acceptance and commitment therapy?

Q3. What are the 6 processes of acceptance and commitment therapy?

Contents

Get Help Today!

About the Writer

Linda Whiteside, LPCC

Clinical Supervisor, NuView Treatment Center

Everyone is Welcome Here and We All Have Your Back

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