ACT Psychotherapy is a cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) that is designed to help individuals develop psychological flexibility by teaching them to accept their thoughts and feelings rather than trying to change or control them. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy encourages individuals to commit to actions consistent with their values, even in complex thoughts and emotions. I offer a specific approach to ACT for depression and another similar approach to ACT for OCD and other anxieties.
If you know that acceptance and commitment psychotherapy is for you, please get in touch with me or schedule a consultation anytime. I’d be happy to talk to you about how we can use this method as a stand-alone or part of an integrated approach. Here is an overview of this method, including how I use it for three specific diagnoses:
Core Principles of ACT Psychotherapy
The core principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy include:
- Acceptance: Instead of trying to eliminate or suppress unpleasant thoughts and emotions, ACT psychotherapy encourages individuals to acknowledge and accept them as normal reactions to life circumstances.
- Cognitive Defusion: This involves learning to observe thoughts without necessarily identifying with or being controlled by them. Techniques such as mindfulness are often used to achieve cognitive defusion.
- Being Present: ACT Psychotherapy emphasizes the importance of being fully present in the moment rather than getting caught up in past regrets or future worries. Mindfulness practices are commonly integrated to cultivate present-moment awareness.
- Values Clarification: In ACT Psychotherapy, you are encouraged to identify your core values – the qualities and principles they want to guide your life. This approach helps you take committed action that is aligned with those values.
- Committed Action: ACT Psychotherapy focuses on helping you take action towards living a meaningful and fulfilling life, even when faced with obstacles or uncomfortable thoughts and emotions.
- Self-as-Context: This concept involves recognizing that you are more than your thoughts and feelings. Instead of identifying with transient experiences, you learn to see yourself as the context within which their experiences occur.
I use ACT Psychotherapy to treat a wide range of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, substance abuse, chronic pain, and stress-related disorders.
ACT for Anxiety
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can be particularly effective for anxiety because it offers practical strategies for dealing with anxious thoughts and feelings while also helping individuals live more fully in alignment with their values. Overall, ACT for Anxiety provides a holistic approach to managing anxiety by helping individuals build psychological flexibility and resilience in the face of anxious thoughts and feelings. It empowers individuals to live fully, even in the presence of anxiety, by taking purposeful action guided by their values and goals. Here’s how ACT for anxiety works:
ACT for Anxiety Step One: Acceptance
Instead of controlling or suppressing anxious thoughts and feelings, ACT for anxiety encourages you to acknowledge and accept them as normal reactions to stress or uncertainty. This acceptance can reduce anxiety and create space for more constructive responses. You learn to have self-compassion and greater understanding by being non-judgmental.
ACT for Anxiety Step Two: Cognitive Defusion
ACT for anxiety teaches techniques to help you distance yourself from your anxious thoughts. By learning to observe thoughts without getting entangled in them, you can reduce the impact of anxious thinking on your emotions and behavior. You learn to watch and more deeply understand your thoughts before they automatically create emotions.
ACT Psychotherapy for Anxiety Step Three: Committed Action
You will now be encouraged to take small, manageable steps toward your goals and values despite feeling anxious. This may involve gradually facing feared situations or engaging in activities that bring a sense of fulfillment and meaning.
Other Steps Along the Way
Mindfulness practices, such as mindful breathing or body scans, are central to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. These techniques help you stay grounded in the present moment, reducing the tendency to ruminate on past events or worry about the future, which are common triggers for anxiety. By focusing on the present moment, you can cultivate greater awareness of their anxiety triggers and learn to respond more effectively to them in real-time.
Anxiety often leads to avoidance of situations or activities that are important to us. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps individuals clarify their values and identify the actions they can take to move toward those values, even in anxiety. ACT for anxiety helps you recognize that they are more than their anxious thoughts and feelings. By developing a broader perspective on themselves and their experiences, you can reduce the impact of anxiety on their self-concept.
ACT for Depression
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can be an effective approach to treating depression by helping individuals develop psychological flexibility and engage in behaviors that are aligned with their values. Here’s how ACT for depression works in my practice:
ACT for Depression Step One: Acceptance
Rather than trying to suppress or eliminate negative thoughts and feelings associated with depression, ACT for depression encourages individuals to acknowledge and accept them as natural parts of the human experience. Acceptance can help reduce the struggle with depressive symptoms and foster a greater sense of self-compassion.
ACT Psychotherapy for Depression Step Two: Cognitive Defusion
ACT for depression teaches techniques to help you distance yourself from your depressive thoughts and beliefs. You can reduce their impact on mood and behavior by learning to observe these thoughts without getting entangled in them.
ACT Psychotherapy for Depression Step Three: Committed Action
Despite depression, you are encouraged to take small, manageable steps toward your goals and values. This may involve engaging in activities that bring a sense of fulfillment, even if they initially feel daunting or challenging.
Other Steps Along the Way
Mindfulness practices are central to ACT for depression and can help individuals cultivate present-moment awareness. By observing thoughts, feelings, and sensations without judgment, you can develop greater clarity and emotional balance. This can be particularly beneficial for managing depressive symptoms. By focusing on the present moment, you can develop greater awareness of your depressive triggers and learn to respond more effectively to them in real time.
Depression often leads to a loss of interest in activities that were once meaningful or enjoyable. ACT for depression helps you clarify your values and identify the actions you can take to move toward those values, even in the presence of depression. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for depression helps you recognize that you are more than your depressive thoughts and feelings. By developing a broader perspective on yourself and your experiences, you can reduce the impact of depression on your self-concept.
Overall, ACT for depression provides a holistic approach to managing symptoms by helping you build resilience and engage in behaviors that promote well-being and vitality. It empowers you to live fully, even in the presence of depressive symptoms, by taking purposeful action guided by your values and goals.
ACT for OCD
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can be a helpful approach to treating Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) by focusing on acceptance, mindfulness, and committed action. Here’s how ACT for OCD works:
ACT for OCD Step One: Acceptance
Instead of trying to suppress or control intrusive thoughts and urges, ACT for OCD encourages you to accept them as natural occurrences of the mind. Acceptance involves allowing these thoughts to come and go without engaging in compulsive behaviors or becoming distressed by them. By accepting your symptoms as part of your identity, you develop self-understanding and more confidence.
ACT Psychotherapy or OCD Step Two: Cognitive Defusion
ACT for OCD teaches techniques to help you distance yourself from your obsessive thoughts and reduce their impact. By practicing cognitive defusion, you can observe their thoughts without immediately reacting to them or believing them to be true.
ACT Psychotherapy for OCD Step Three: Committed Action
Despite experiencing OCD symptoms, you are encouraged to take steps toward your values and goals. This may involve gradually facing feared situations or engaging in activities that bring a sense of fulfillment, even if OCD-related thoughts or urges are present. Facing your anxiety is a crucial step in overcoming obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Other Important Steps
Mindfulness practices can help you become more aware of your thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations without judgment. Mindfulness can provide a sense of grounding and perspective, allowing you to respond more skillfully to OCD-related thoughts and urges. By focusing on the present moment, you can develop greater awareness of your OCD triggers and learn to respond more effectively to them in real time.
OCD often leads individuals to prioritize avoidance and safety behaviors over activities that are personally meaningful or important. ACT for OCD helps you clarify your values and identify actions you can take to live a meaningful life despite the presence of OCD symptoms. ACT for OCD helps you recognize that you are more than your OCD symptoms. By developing a broader perspective on yourself and your experiences, you can reduce the impact of OCD on your identity and self-concept.
Summary and My Work
It’s important to note that while ACT psychotherapy can benefit individuals with many challenges, I often used it as part of an integrated approach combined with interventions such as exposure and response prevention (ERP), cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and humanistic approaches. I use this approach in some specialty services, including fear of flying therapy and fear of public speaking treatment. I also often weave this therapeutic approach into my group treatment offerings.
Acceptance and commitment psychotherapy can be delivered virtually or in-person. It can be part of couples treatment and family therapy, though it is often used with individual treatment.
If you have any questions about ACT psychotherapy or how it might benefit you, please schedule and consultation or contact me anytime.
