Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT for short) is an extremely powerful form of therapy that is more helpful with a broader range of life’s psychological challenges than any other type of therapy. In some ways, ACT represents the continued evolution of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy to be more open, more accepting, and ultimately more process-based (read here why that’s a good thing).
So what is it exactly? ACT is all about helping you change your relationship with life’s mental, emotional, and physical pain so that you can live a fully vitalized and values-driven life. Unlike traditional CBT, it is not about getting rid of the symptoms (tough as that may be to hear).
Instead, it is about getting rid of pain’s ability to control you. We all know that life has never and will never be pain free. ACT acknowledges that pain is part of human life, but that struggling with pain and the subsequent suffering doesn’t have to be.
What meaningful things would you be freed up to do if you were liberated from the struggle with your pain?
The skills can be broken down into two main categories. Mindfulness and Action. I love these categories so often mindfulness approaches feel nice, but leave a question about what is actually changing in our actions. ACT takes a very pragmatic approach to using mindfulness as a tool to accomplish behavior change.
Mindfulness as a lifestyle is great and helpful to many people looking to bolster their mental health. But when we are facing challenges with anxiety, depression, trauma, and a myriad of other mental illness difficulties, we need more. By placing an emphasis on using mindfulness as a tool to support sustained commitment to new purposeful action, we get the best of both worlds.
We aim for mindful acceptance of what cannot be changed and purposeful action to change what can actually be made better.
Through a set of six specific skills, ACT can help you to find freedom and live a life that truly matters.
Reach out to learn how ACT can be helpful to you in the midst of whatever challenges you face.
