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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Cutting-Edge Solutions for Better Mental Health and Wellness

ACT is a powerful therapeutic approach that encourages individuals to embrace their thoughts and feelings rather than avoid them and to commit to actions that align with their core values. By working to cultivate mindfulness and psychological flexibility, ACT helps people break free from unproductive patterns and live a more meaningful, value-driven life. Able to Change is Southern California’s premier mental health treatment center, offering ACT (and several other holistic, evidence-based treatments and levels of care) to help individuals and their loved ones heal.

What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is a contemporary form of psychotherapy that focuses on helping individuals live more fulfilling lives by embracing their thoughts and feelings rather than trying to control or avoid them.[1] Developed by Dr. Steven Hayes, ACT integrates principles of mindfulness with behavioral change strategies to promote psychological flexibility.

At its core, ACT encourages individuals to accept their internal experiences – such as emotions, thoughts, and memories – without judgment or resistance.[2] The therapy emphasizes the importance of aligning actions with personal values, even in the face of difficult or uncomfortable feelings. By teaching clients to be present at the moment and engage in meaningful activities, ACT helps them to break free from patterns of avoidance and unproductive behaviors.

ACT typically involves six core processes: cognitive defusion (detaching from unhelpful thoughts), acceptance (embracing difficult feelings), mindfulness (staying present), self-as-context (recognizing one’s ongoing sense of self), values clarification (identifying what truly matters), and committed action (taking steps towards those values).[3] Through these processes, individuals learn to respond to life’s challenges with greater resilience and authenticity.

In therapy sessions, ACT is delivered by trained mental health professionals who work collaboratively with clients to explore their values, develop effective coping strategies, and create actionable plans to improve their quality of life.

How (and Why) ACT Works

ACT operates on the principle that avoiding or battling unwanted thoughts and feelings often exacerbates psychological distress rather than alleviating it. By shifting focus from control and avoidance to acceptance and value-driven action, ACT helps individuals develop greater psychological flexibility. This flexibility allows them to engage more fully in life despite the presence of difficult emotions or thoughts. The therapy utilizes mindfulness techniques to help individuals observe their internal experiences without judgment, which reduces the power these experiences hold over their behavior.

As mentioned above, ACT therapists work to integrate several core processes that collectively work to help people create a more meaningful and fulfilling life:[4]

  • Cognitive defusion techniques teach individuals to separate themselves from their thoughts, viewing them as mere mental events rather than truths. 
  • Acceptance encourages embracing emotions and experiences rather than resisting them. 
  • Mindfulness practices enhance present-moment awareness, while self-as-context helps individuals see themselves beyond their thoughts and feelings. 
  • Values clarification assists in identifying what truly matters, and committed action involves taking concrete steps aligned with these values. 

By focusing on these areas, ACT enables individuals to live in accordance with their core values, leading to a deeper sense of purpose and satisfaction.

The Efficacy of Acceptance & Commitment Therapy

ACT for mental health has demonstrated significant effectiveness across various therapeutic settings, including mental health clinics, primary care environments, and specialty medical centers. Research has shown that ACT interventions can lead to notable improvements in mental health, medical conditions, and behavioral outcomes, enhancing overall functioning and quality of life.[5]

Clinical studies reveal that ACT is efficacious for a range of conditions, including anxiety, depression, chronic pain, addiction, and various transdiagnostic issues. The therapy consistently produces positive results, often outperforming inactive control groups (such as waitlists or placebos) and showing superiority over standard treatments and many other active intervention conditions.[6] By focusing on acceptance, mindfulness, and values-based action, ACT helps individuals achieve meaningful changes in their lives, making it a robust and effective approach for addressing complex and diverse challenges.

What to Expect from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

When starting Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), individuals can expect a unique therapeutic experience centered around mindfulness and value-driven action.

The therapy typically begins with an exploration of personal values and goals, helping clients identify what truly matters to them. This foundational work establishes a clear direction for therapy and helps clients connect their actions with their deeper sense of purpose. Sessions often involve discussions about the nature of thoughts and feelings, aiming to cultivate a perspective of acceptance rather than avoidance.

Throughout ACT, clients will engage in various exercises designed to enhance psychological flexibility. These may include mindfulness practices that teach individuals to observe their thoughts and emotions without judgment, as well as cognitive defusion techniques that help them detach from unhelpful thinking patterns. Clients will also work on identifying and clarifying their core values, setting actionable goals, and taking committed steps towards those goals despite any difficulties or discomfort they might encounter.​

As therapy progresses, clients can expect to develop practical skills for managing stress, making value-based decisions, and improving overall well-being. The focus is on fostering a compassionate and non-judgmental approach to internal experiences while actively pursuing a meaningful life. By integrating these elements, ACT helps people build resilience and navigate life's challenges with greater ease and purpose.

ACT Therapy at Able To Change Recovery

Ready to embrace a more fulfilling and value-driven life? Acceptance and Commitment Therapy at Able to Change Recovery offers individuals the opportunity to overcome obstacles and achieve lasting change and recovery. Clients will experience a supportive community dedicated to their growth and well-being, along with access to innovative approaches to mental health treatment. The combination of a compassionate environment and cutting-edge therapeutic techniques ensures a comprehensive and empowering path to personal transformation.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

ACT differs from traditional CBT in its focus and approach. While CBT primarily aims to modify negative thought patterns and behaviors, ACT aims to emphasize accepting unwanted thoughts and feelings rather than changing them. ACT also prioritizes aligning actions with personal values, promoting psychological flexibility and meaningful living rather than just symptom reduction.

ACT processes grow self-compassion and self-acceptance by encouraging individuals to embrace their difficult thoughts and feelings without judgment. By teaching mindfulness exercises and acceptance techniques, ACT helps people recognize and value their own experiences and identities, leading to a kinder, more understanding relationship with themselves, particularly for those struggling with anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, PTSD, ADHD, and other mental health challenges.

In ACT, homework and exercises are integral to applying therapy concepts in real-life situations. These tasks often involve practicing mindfulness, identifying personal values, and engaging in value-based actions. By completing these assignments, clients can reinforce the skills learned in therapy and make tangible progress toward their ACT goals and treatment benchmarks.

[1] Hayes, S. (n.d.). ACT | Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. Contextualscience.org. https://contextualscience.org/act on September 12, 2024

[2] Li, Z., Shang, W., Wang, C., Yang, K., & Guo, J. (2022). Characteristics and trends in acceptance and commitment therapy research: A bibliometric analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9702511/ on September 12, 2024

[3] Hayes, S. (n.d.). The Six Core Processes of ACT | Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. Contextualscience.org. https://contextualscience.org/the_six_core_processes_of_act on September 12, 2024

[4] What is ACT therapy? Overview, uses, and benefits. (2022, May 25). Www.medicalnewstoday.com. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/act-therapy on September 12, 2024

[5] Dindo, L., Van Liew, J. R., & Arch, J. J. (2017). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: A Transdiagnostic Behavioral Intervention for Mental Health and Medical Conditions. Neurotherapeutics, 14(3), 546–553. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5509623/ on September 12, 2024

[6] Gloster, A. T., Walder, N., Levin, M. E., Twohig, M. P., & Karekla, M. (2020). The empirical status of acceptance and commitment therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 18(18), 181–192. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212144720301940 on September 12, 2024

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