Acceptance & Commitment Therapy
What is ACT?
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) stems from the very well-known Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and aims to help you achieve a fulfilled and meaningful life, while accepting the pain that inevitably goes with it.
ACT centres on learning to accept what is out of your personal control, and commit to action that improves and enriches your life (in line with your deepest values) – if you are disturbed by memories of past events, you must accept that the event occurred; accompanying feelings can eventually be diminished. We are all human, and we all hurt sometimes! Sometimes accepting that results in less suffering than fighting it.
Accept what is beyond your personal control and live in the present moment.
Choose a valued direction.
Take action.
How does it work and is it effective?
- You and your therapist will explore the main details of your life (relationships, career, leisure etc) and help you to clarify what is truly important and meaningful to you (your values), then use that knowledge to guide, inspire and motivate you to change your life for the better.
- You will develop mindfulness skills and strategies to deal with your difficult thoughts and feelings (so that they have much less impact and influence over you). Homework tasks will also be set between sessions.
- You will work towards taking effective action in order to create a rich and meaningful life.
- Your therapist will be a coach that is trying to help you stay focused on developing resilience so that you can live the life that you want rather than be constrained by the impact of negative thoughts and feelings.
- Since its emergence in the 1980s, ACT has become a reputable evidence-based psychological therapy for certain disorders. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines (renowned for producing high-quality clinical-guidelines) also recommend this therapy on the foundation of a large evidence-base.