Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy that focuses on values-based actions, mindfulness and acceptance.
In ACT, people are taught that although thoughts and feelings can influence actions, they don’t have to be controlled by negative thoughts or emotions. Instead, they can accept the experience of emotions and thoughts, but choose to act in a way that helps them achieve their valued goals.
To some extent, negative thoughts and emotions are integral to life. They can be minimized, but can’t be avoided altogether. Trying to avoid them can cause people to avoid many valuable and positive experiences, which not only prevents people from effectively participating in life, but leads to more negative thoughts and emotions.
Skills for Managing Thoughts and Emotions in ACT
ACT teaches individuals that these thoughts are not necessarily a reflection of reality, and although they are experiencing them in the present, they do not have act on them.
The focus is on developing skills to avoid being confined by these types of thoughts and emotions. This allows individuals to gain the power to act independently of negative thought patterns and emotions, while:
acknowledging their existence
validating their experience and,
appreciating them for what they are.
This approach can be incredibly freeing for people who suffer from depression, anxiety, grief, and many other concerns. In these instances, a common reaction to the experience – i.e. anxiousness, sadness, anger, etc. – is resistance.
In other words, individuals try to fight against these feelings which can lead to more frustration and ultimately even increase depression and anxiety. ACT uses the principles of mindfulness to work with rather than against the experience.
Understanding Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: The ACT Hexaflex Model
Acceptance and commitment therapy specialists at CBT Denver and worldwide often use the ACT Hexaflex Model as a means to guide the treatment plan for their patients. Depending on each individual case, the trajectory might look a little different, but it will always cover the essential components of ACT. These are:
The Present Moment – bringing the focus on the present moment and acknowledging it in all its nuances.
Acceptance – accepting the thoughts and emotions that may arise rather than focusing energy on fighting them.
Values – identifying the values that are most important to you and using them as your guide to return to time and time again.
Cognitive Defusion - learning to distinguish your thoughts from the reality; for example, changing “I am stupid” to “I am noticing I am having the thought that I am stupid.”
Committed Action - establishing goals that will help you live in alignment with your core values.
Self as Context - recognizing negative self-talk and labels and approaching your experiences from a place of kindness and compassion.
Based on the Hexaflex Model example above, you will have noticed that words and the way we speak to ourselves play an important role in ACT. The way we speak to ourselves matters greatly and is something we should work on daily.
By repeatedly practicing negative self-talk, we ultimately accept these labels as a reality; by acknowledging these as thoughts rather than facts, and wording it as such, we stop them from settling in as our sense of self.
Learn What Matters to You
If you had the freedom to act however you wanted, without being limited by negative thoughts and emotions, what would you do? Finding out what truly matters to you and learning to act on that information can help defuse the impact of your thoughts and feelings. In ACT this is done through:
values clarification
identifying clear goals
working toward these goals regardless of what comes up in your mind
and appreciating achievements
In doing so, patients learn how to experience more positive emotions that lead to a better evaluation of themselves and their lives.
Once a person has identified the most important values in their lives, they can commit to taking actions based on those values. These committed actions may be taken at work, in the context of interpersonal relationships, or in private moments, resulting in a more positive experience and increased ability to achieve important goals.
ACT’s Proven Effectiveness
Acceptance and commitment therapy has been shown to be effective for many different mental health conditions. As with other forms of CBT, ACT focuses on delivering results in a limited number of sessions, and results persist long after therapy sessions end.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for anxiety is particularly helpful in that, it speaks to the areas individuals most struggle with during a spell or episode of anxiety, directly. It asks you to acknowledge the thoughts and feelings (leading to the anxiety), thus centering you in the present. It refocuses these feelings by concentrating, instead, on values and goals.
Help with grief is another important application of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Healing from grief often involves acceptance and connection with meaningful activities and relationships both of which are core focuses in ACT therapy.
ACT does not ask of you to let go of what you’re feeling but rather, to live with these feelings and redirect their focus on positives rather than negatives in the long run. For example, it may help you to honor and accept the past while finding new ways to connect with a lost loved one through different, values-based actions.
Other areas of mental health issues that can benefit from ACT include:
Impulse disorders
Substance abuse
Chronic stress
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Denver
If you’re considering Acceptance and Commitment Therapy – for yourself or a loved one – please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
At CBT Denver we specialize in different forms of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, including ACT.
Contact us for an initial consultation so we can get a clear picture of where you are in your journey and tailor a possible treatment plan accordingly.
Our team of ACT therapists in Denver look forward to working with you and setting you off on a new path towards healing.
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Learn More About Acceptance and Commitment Therapy at CBT Denver
If you wish to know more about our approach to ACT, don’t hesitate to reach out. We can help you decide what might be best for you through an initial phone consultation and answer any questions you have.