Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based therapy that focuses on acceptance and mindfulness strategies and commitment to behaviour change. It aims to increase one’s ability to adjust to stressors in the present moment and act inline with one’s values.

ACT VS CBT

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is commonly compared with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) as both therapies are behaviour-based approaches. ACT differs from CBT in that it focuses on individuals accepting rather than avoiding the situations they are facing, whereas CBT focuses on identifying and changing negative beliefs. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can be administered across both the short and long term, but CBT is typically conducted in the short term.

Another practical difference is the target of change. In traditional CBT, people learn to evaluate and challenge distorted thoughts to reduce their impact on emotion and behaviour. In ACT, people learn to notice thoughts as thoughts, make room for feelings, and take values-guided action even when difficult experiences are present. Many clinicians integrate both approaches: using brief cognitive skills when helpful while keeping ACT’s overarching stance of openness, awareness, and committed action.

Key Points of ACT

• Acceptance – To allow negative experiences to exist without denying or trying to change them
• Cognitive Defusion – Reducing attention on the negative experiences
• Mindfulness – Ability to talk about the present situation without passing judgement
• Self as Context – The idea that you are not a sum of your experiences, thoughts or emotions but rather as a conscious being experiencing these thoughts and emotions
• Values – What you stand for
• Commitment – Taking effective action guided by values (both physical and psychological actions)

Taken together, these six processes increase psychological flexibility—the capacity to stay in contact with the present moment and choose actions that serve your values. Instead of wrestling with internal experiences, you build willingness to feel what you feel while doing what matters.

How Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Works in Practice

Through ACT, clients learn to listen to the way they talk to themselves through experiences such as traumatic events and problematic relationships. Therapists can guide clients to avoid repeating previously problematic thought patterns and behaviours.

Both client and therapist decide if immediate action to change the situation is necessary, or if accepting the situation while learning to make behavioural changes is a better option. After facing and accepting their current issues, clients can then start to practice more optimistic behaviours based on their values.

Sessions are active and experiential. You might practise a brief mindfulness exercise, run a real-life “tiny experiment” that aligns with your values, or learn a defusion skill to unhook from sticky thoughts. Homework is light but regular, focusing on small behaviours you can repeat in daily life.

The Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Hexaflex: Skills and Everyday Examples

Acceptance

Acceptance in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy means opening up to inner experience so that you stop struggling with it and can redirect energy toward living. It is not resignation. Example: allowing the physical sensations of anxiety (tight chest, heat) to be present while you give the presentation that matters to your career.

Cognitive Defusion

Cognitive Defusion helps you see thoughts as words and pictures, not truths or commands. Quick practices include silently adding “I’m having the thought that…” before a difficult thought, singing the thought to a silly tune, or picturing it on a passing cloud. These reduce the thought’s grip and create space to choose action.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is practical: noticing the present moment with curiosity and without judgement. Short practices might involve naming five things you can see, three things you can feel, and one thing you can hear before entering a challenging conversation.

Self as Context

Self as Context points to the observing perspective—the part of you that notices thoughts and feelings but is more than them. From this wider sense of self, experiences can come and go without defining you. A simple exercise is to notice, “I am noticing worry,” rather than “I am a worrier.”

Values

Values are directions, not goals. They answer “What kind of person do I want to be in this situation?” Examples include being a caring partner, a reliable teammate, or a curious learner. Values clarify why change is worth the effort and guide choices when emotions are strong.

Committed Action

Committed action turns values into behaviours. Plans are specific, realistic, and flexible. When setbacks happen, you return to your values and adjust the next step rather than abandon the path.

Common Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Exercises

• Leaves on a Stream: Imagine placing each thought on a leaf floating down a stream. Watch them pass without grabbing or pushing away. This builds cognitive defusion and acceptance.

• 5–Minute Values Check: List domains (health, relationships, work, growth, fun). Circle one value-driven action you can do today for each domain, however small.

• Willingness Dial: Picture a dial from 0 to 10 representing your willingness to feel discomfort in service of values. Choose a setting you can accept today and take a matching step.

• Notice–Name–Nurture: Notice a difficult emotion, name it (“sadness is here”), and nurture yourself with a kind phrase and one helpful behaviour.

• Self-as-Context Switch: Close your eyes and identify roles you play (parent, colleague, friend). Notice that the one who notices these roles remains constant, spacious, and capable of choice.

What an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Session Looks Like

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy sessions typically start with a brief check-in and a present-moment exercise to settle attention. You and your therapist set an agenda linked to your values, then practise one or two skills on a current challenge. Each session ends with a small action plan—something you can try before the next meeting. The tone is collaborative, kind, and pragmatic.

When will your therapist engage you with ACT?

Some of the more common mental illnesses that can be treated effectively with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy include:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Substance Abuse
• Anorexia
• Chronic Pain
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Schizophrenia

Outside formal diagnoses, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is also useful for perfectionism, procrastination, work stress, parenting challenges, and life transitions. Because it focuses on flexible responding, it adapts across ages and cultures and can be delivered individually, in groups, or via telehealth.

ACT for Specific Concerns

Depression

Behavioural activation is framed through values. Even when low energy and self-criticism show up, you schedule small, meaningful steps (a five-minute walk with a friend, a short creative task). Acceptance reduces the fight with low mood so that life can expand again.

Anxiety and Panic

Instead of trying to eliminate anxiety, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy teaches you to open up to sensations and thoughts while moving toward what matters (e.g., attending a social event aligned with connection). Defusion reduces catastrophic thinking and mindfulness keeps you anchored in the task at hand.

Chronic Pain

ACT helps separate pain from suffering. You learn to make room for sensations while reducing the secondary struggle (resentment, avoidance). Values guide pacing, movement, and engagement with life despite pain.

Trauma and PTSD

Stabilisation comes first. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy supports grounding, compassion, and rebuilding meaningful routines. Over time, you practise approaching reminders safely and choosing actions that fit your values rather than avoidance.

Planning Values-Guided Goals

ACT uses “toward moves” and “away moves.” A toward move is any action that brings you closer to values (calling a loved one, submitting an application). An away move is any action that narrows life to avoid discomfort (drinking to numb, endless scrolling). Tracking these with curiosity—not blame—builds awareness and choice.

• Identify one value in a key domain (e.g., “be a present parent”).
• Define a tiny, repeatable behaviour (e.g., “read for 10 minutes at bedtime”).
• Name likely obstacles (fatigue, work email).
• Choose a defusion or acceptance skill to use when the obstacle shows up.
• Review weekly and adjust without self-criticism.

Addressing Common Myths

• “Acceptance means giving up.” In ACT, acceptance frees energy for action. You stop fighting inner weather so you can steer the ship.

• “Values are just goals.” Goals can be completed; values are ongoing directions. You can live your values today, regardless of outcome.

• “Mindfulness means emptying the mind.” Mindfulness means noticing whatever is here, kindly and clearly, then choosing your next step.

Measuring Progress

Progress looks like increased contact with the present, more values-guided behaviour, less avoidance, and a kinder stance toward inner experience. Many clients use brief weekly checklists (how many toward moves, which skills used) and note shifts in relationships, work, and self-care.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Everyday Life: Mini Scripts

Before a tough meeting: Pause, feel your feet, breathe out slowly. “Anxiety is here, and I can speak for clarity and respect.” Choose one value statement to guide you.

When rumination starts: Whisper, “Thank you, mind.” Write the thought on paper, place it aside, and take one small toward move.

When procrastinating: Set a 3-minute timer and begin. Willingness for discomfort is small, action is aligned, progress starts.

Suitability, Safety, and Combining Approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is generally safe and adaptable. In acute crises or complex presentations, pacing and coordination with medical care are essential. ACT often blends well with brief CBT techniques, skills from DBT, or medication management when indicated. The shared aim is a life that feels larger and more aligned with what matters.

FAQs

How long does Acceptance and Commitment Therapy take?

Brief courses can be 6–12 sessions; longer-term work is common when building habits around long-standing patterns. The emphasis is on practising skills in real life between sessions.

Will I have homework?

Yes—small, values-guided actions and short mindfulness or defusion exercises. These are designed to be practical and sustainable.

What if I don’t know my values?

We discover them together through exercises, noticing who and what matters most, and testing small steps to see what feels meaningful.

A One-Line Summary to Keep Handy

Accept your thoughts and feelings, choose a valued direction, take action.

We recommend This Video to those who wants to learn more about Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

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