Acceptance And Commitment Therapy (ACT) For One’s Thoughts & Values

What is acceptance and commitment therapy, or ACT?

Acceptance and commitment therapy, or ACT (pronounced as "act"), is a therapy approach to accepting and improving one's quality of life. Acceptance and commitment therapy, like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), helps people focus on the present and move forward from overwhelming emotions to improve mental health. In ACT therapy, acceptance means acknowledging what's out of your control, and commitment means committing to moving forward. 

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) can be conducted online and in person. It can help diffuse the impact of negative emotions (known in clinical psychology as cognitive defusion) and reshape your thinking to treat depression, anxiety, and other similar mental disorders. The Association for Contextual Behavioral Science has a wealth of resources on ACT therapy and behavior therapy.

What is the goal of acceptance and commitment therapy?

ACT, or acceptance and commitment therapy, aims to diffuse negative thought patterns and unnecessary emotional dwelling. Acceptance and commitment therapy is a form of behavioral and cognitive therapy. It uses a variety of approaches drawn from behavioral therapies, mindfulness exercises, cognitive therapy, acceptance, and commitment methods, to name a few. 

Learning to diffuse negative thoughts and emotional dwellings

With a licensed professional, you'll learn coping mechanisms and skills specifically tailored to your situation explained through the lens of cognitive behavioral therapy methods. These can be used to help you feel acceptance in the present and can be applied throughout your life to handle tough experiences and stay present. The content of these sessions during treatment may focus on helping you accept your situation and commit to changing your perspective or behaviors. 

Those who experience traumatic flashbacks, substance use disorder, or generalized anxiety from everyday actions can benefit from the focus on mindful behavior changes that come from acceptance and commitment therapy. ACT encourages people to stay present and accept the present. It's difficult to move through life without mentally existing in the here and now, so acceptance and commitment therapy provides the guidance necessary for clients to stop fighting with their thoughts. 

If you are experiencing trauma, support is available. Please see our Get Help Now page for more resources.

How acceptance and commitment therapy for thoughts and values works

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy has become a promising treatment for a variety of challenges, including anxiety, eating disorders, and substance abuse. ACT works in three areas: accept the emotion and be mindful, choose a direction, and then act accordingly. The first part of ACT involves the radical acceptance of things that are out of your control, as focusing on things outside of your control may cause more distress. In the second and third areas of ACT, you are taking charge and committing to the action that aligns with your values and will push you forward instead of remaining stagnant in a muck of emotions.

• Acceptance: Accepting the situation so that a plan for action can be made.
• Cognitive defusion: Changing the way you view or interact with thoughts so that their negative or unhelpful aspects are lessened.
• Contact with the present moment: Also called psychological flexibility, it means learning to be more mindful and present in the current moment to gain a greater sense of self and events without judgment. This act of being present can promote behavior change for clients.
• The observing self or self-as-context: You are not your thoughts or feelings, and you can learn to consciously observe, experience, and process them without attaching your self-value or identity to them.
• Values: “Chosen qualities of purposive action” without “avoidance, social, or fusion.”
• Committed action: Developing and choosing effective action and concrete goals related to the chosen values. Committed action is often essential for incorporating changes toward a more positive behavior.

Acceptance and commitment therapy requires a certain degree of psychological flexibility. Think of yourself as a filter. When a feeling comes to the surface, allow it to pass through you like a liquid. Don't obsess over the feeling or judge it or yourself, and don't give it the ability to warp into another aggravating thought. Give it time to wash through you, imagining it like a wave that will eventually break over the shore. Once it passes, you can sit down and process what you feel.

Reminders for ACT

During the processing stage, it's imperative not to get stuck in a cycle of rumination. Those who live with anxiety and depression symptoms are particularly prone to delving into this rabbit hole, which therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy included, attempts to avoid— in this method, through behavior modification. You want to diffuse (the first principle) these negative thoughts instead of agitating them.

An anxious brain is on constant alert, cycling through different scenarios in which things can go from wrong—or even alright—to worse. When you allow these thoughts, feelings, and emotions to pass, you can find a peaceful pond sitting on the other side of your thoughts instead of a warring ocean.

Here are some reminders to consider:

1. You are in control of your own body even if you are not in control of your surroundings.
2. It's okay not to be good at everything you try. That's what trying is for, and you don’t have to be good at something to find joy in it.
3. Your strengths and your weaknesses are valuable as opportunities to learn and grow.
4. Do not act on every single thought. Let them flow like a river back to its source.
5. What happened years ago is not happening right now.

These are just some examples of what an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) therapist might ask you to say to yourself during these moments. Use whichever ones work best while you're focusing on being mindful.

Mindfulness for intrusive thoughts: How to achieve it

Imagine being able to quiet those intrusive thoughts that plague you during the day and trade them for your surroundings in the present moment. There can be a sense of calmness in this action. You may feel lighter, perhaps even a bit more in control of your own body and breathing than you thought. You may feel your shoulders relax and your head start to feel clear. You can hear yourself breathe through the silence surrounding you.

To achieve a state of mindfulness, one must focus on the present situation. What do you hear? What can you smell? Is there something in your vision or have you closed your eyes to focus more on your other senses? Are you cold or warm? How does your food taste? These sensations aren't to prompt more emotions, but to help diffuse the unfavorable ones. Once you can separate yourself from those uncomfortable feelings, you can focus more on going about your day without them.

Goal setting is an important component of acceptance and commitment therapy. Being mindful more often can help you clarify the important goals in your life that you would like to achieve, however big or small. It could be publishing a book or surrounding yourself with happier people. Maybe you want to go a full day without panicking, or you want to be able to get into your work without mental disruption. What habits would you like to curb that are holding you back?

How does acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) help?

Through acceptance and commitment therapy, you can discover your most valued desires. Clearing negative emotions and memories by bringing your attention to the present can pave the way for other things in life that serve you and your growth. Through ACT, what once was a difficult battle could become a clear path for you to walk.

It can be scary discovering there's a world outside of that haze of thinking. What else can you finally do that you haven't been able to? How will you be able to turn the page? Paint that picture? Write that book? Travel to new places? Everything may feel possible when you make room for your true self to thrive without the weight of frightful emotions and worries. This is how therapy, including acceptance and commitment therapy, has helped the lives of millions.

How to commit

Commitment starts from the very beginning. It's hard work making changes in your life, but acceptance and commitment therapy can gently guide you in that direction. Once you've become calm enough to identify what is important to you and a problem you may be facing, you can start taking the steps necessary to achieve your goals. This is something that will require long-term work. One thing to keep in mind: Every day will prove to be a challenge, but acceptance and commitment therapy will give you the tools to cope with it.

Consistency and dedication to acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)

As much as acceptance and commitment therapy can help, therapy only helps someone who is willing to dedicate themselves to the practice. Consistent attendance—whether in person or virtually— in addition to engaging in sessions and exercises is the key to reaping the benefits of this psychotherapy. Your commitment begins when you start acceptance and commitment therapy sessions. Then, it's your commitment to yourself that keeps you continuing therapy each session you attend. And from there, commitment lies in your desire to be healthy and safe.

You deserve to be healthy and happy in your life—remember that when you begin therapy like acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) or CBT. Keep pushing forward because you deserve growth and relief.

Utilizing online ACT

There is evidence supporting the use of online acceptance and commitment therapy when dealing with a variety of mental health concerns. Various studies have shown ACT therapy to be an effective approach to reducing chronic pain and emotional pain. In a broad-based review published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, the effects of online ACT on those experiencing symptoms of anxiety were examined. The results of 20 studies where online ACT was utilized for a variety of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and illness anxiety disorder. Researchers noted that these treatments significantly reduced symptoms of anxiety, concluding that acceptance and commitment therapy could be effectively administered through online platforms. The report also states that online ACT aims to reduce common barriers to therapy treatment, including geographical or place constraints, high costs, and perceived stigma.