Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Overview
What Is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)?
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based form of psychotherapy that helps people build a meaningful, values-driven life, even in the presence of difficult thoughts, emotions, or experiences.
Rather than focusing on eliminating distress, ACT helps you:
Change how you relate to difficult thoughts and feelings
Develop psychological flexibility
Take committed action toward what matters most to you
ACT blends mindfulness, behavioral strategies, and values-based work into a practical and compassionate approach.
The Core Goal of ACT: Psychological Flexibility
Psychological flexibility means:
The ability to stay present, open up to inner experiences, and take action aligned with your values — even when things feel uncomfortable.
ACT teaches that pain is a normal part of being human, but struggling against pain often increases suffering. Learning new ways to respond can create freedom and resilience.
The Six Core Processes of ACT
ACT is often illustrated using the ACT Hexaflex, which includes six interconnected skills:
1. Acceptance
Learning to make room for uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, or sensations instead of fighting or avoiding them.
2. Cognitive Defusion
Changing your relationship with thoughts — seeing them as mental events, not absolute truths that must control your behavior.
3. Present-Moment Awareness
Developing mindfulness skills to stay grounded in the here and now, rather than being pulled into the past or future.
4. Self-as-Context
Building awareness of a stable observing self — the part of you that notices experiences without being defined by them.
5. Values
Clarifying what truly matters to you — the qualities you want to bring into your life, relationships, and actions.
6. Committed Action
Taking meaningful steps, guided by values, even when discomfort shows up.
What ACT Looks Like in Therapy
ACT sessions are often:
Experiential and reflective
Focused on real-life situations
Less about “fixing” thoughts and more about changing your relationship to them
Grounded in values-based goal setting
Therapists may use metaphors, mindfulness exercises, and practical experiments to help concepts “click.”
What Clients Often Experience
Clients often report:
Less struggle with intrusive or distressing thoughts
Increased emotional openness and self-compassion
More clarity about personal values
Greater ability to take action despite fear or discomfort
A stronger sense of meaning and direction
ACT doesn’t promise to remove pain — it helps ensure pain doesn’t control your life.
What ACT Is Especially Helpful For
ACT has strong research support for:
Anxiety disorders
Depression
PTSD and trauma
Chronic pain and illness
OCD
Substance use recovery
Stress, burnout, and life transitions
It works well alone or integrated with CBT, DBT, MI, IFS, or trauma-informed care.
What to Expect Practically
ACT can be short- or longer-term, depending on goals
Progress is measured by quality of life, not symptom elimination alone
Between-session practice may include mindfulness or values-based actions
Discomfort may arise — and is treated as part of growth, not failure
Helpful ACT Resources (Client-Friendly)
General Overviews
Psychology Today – ACT Explained
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapy-types/acceptance-and-commitment-therapyAssociation for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS)
https://contextualscience.org
Skills & Exercises
Therapist Aid – ACT Worksheets
https://www.therapistaid.com/therapy-worksheets/actGet Self Help – ACT Resources
https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/act/
Optional Reading
The Happiness Trap – Russ Harris
ACT Made Simple – Russ Harris
In Summary
ACT helps people:
Stop fighting their inner experiences
Build flexibility and resilience
Clarify what truly matters
Take meaningful action toward a fulfilling life
It is compassionate, practical, and deeply human, focusing not on feeling “better,” but on living better.
