What is ACT?

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a form of psychotherapy that helps individuals to recognise the challenges that suppressing, avoiding or denying their emotions can bring.

By addressing these emotional experiences, a person can learn how to use their new-found knowledge to accept their issues and commit to making important changes to improve their well-being.

ACT has derived from traditional CBT methods with a fusion of emerging forms of therapy such as mindfulness, acceptance and values.

In order to live a calm and meaningful life, a person must understand that pain and emotional trauma are part and parcel of our lives. ACT guides us to take effective and mindful action to deal with thoughts, feelings and memories which cause pain, to develop a meaningful and engaged life.

How does ACT help?

ACT practitioners hold the view that it is ineffectual to try to manage traumatic events or painful emotions with suppression, as eventually this will only cause further distress.

ACT helps people to understand that there are valid ways to help change how they view negative emotions by using mindfulness, attention to values and a commitment to actioning changes to move forward with their lives.

An ACT therapist will teach a person to listen to their internal voice to understand the way they process harrowing events, stressful situations and other issues which cause distress. This enables the person to decide if a challenging problem needs immediate action, or if the problem cannot be resolved, ACT gives them the tools to reach acceptance of the situation without any attempt to change it.

ACT has been used to enhance psychological flexibility in many instances, including anxiety, OCD, stresses of exams or the workplace and has also been used to manage conditions such as chronic pain.

Unlike traditional CBT, ACT will not try to change painful feelings or unwelcome thoughts, but instead adopts a methodology of developing a mindful relationship with your emotions to better understand them and act, where appropriate, to move towards a more positive future.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Interventions offers clients the opportunity to explore modern methods of psychotherapy in alignment with evidence-based CBT disciplines. Please contact our practice to find out more about ACT and book an appointment.

If you would like to listen to a podcast from the British Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Psychotherapist (BABCP) providing more information on ACT please click  Podcast