Bliss Counselling | Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Back to Therapeutic Approaches

WHAT IS ACCEPTANCE AND COMMITMENT THERAPY (ACT)?

Using mindfulness and other evidence-based approaches, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) teaches us how to conduct ourselves in a way that is aligned with our own values in order to experience a true vitality of life. ACT emphasizes the acceptance of emotions, the practice of psychological flexibility, and the commitment to self-compassion. 

SOME OF THE MOST COMMON TOPICS CLIENTS DISCUSS DURING ACT:

  • Acceptance and Compassion for Self and Others
  • Addiction and Substance Use
  • Anger
  • Anxiety, Fears and Panic
  • Blame
  • Blended Families and Co-Parenting
  • Body Acceptance
  • Bipolar and Borderline Personality
  • Communication
  • Depression
  • Emotional Regulation and Consideration of Multiple or Alternative Perspectives
  • Generalizations (i.e., all or nothing thinking)
  • Insomnia
  • Mindfulness
  • Motivations
  • Past Experiences
  • Problem Identification
  • Self-Awareness
  • Self-Esteem and Self-Worth
  • Trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Symptoms
  • Underlying Assumptions and Interpretations of Events
  • Value Systems, Personal Biases and Beliefs
  • Workplace Balance and Stress Management

HOW DOES ACT WORK?

ACT clinicians approach emotions in a neutral way; that is, they remind you that emotions are a normal and necessary part of the human experience. ACT recognizes that by denying or repressing emotions, we are denying a part of ourselves. ACT also helps you identify a set of values which can then guide you through life. Psychological flexibility means approaching difficult circumstances by grounding yourself in your own self-knowledge, acceptance, and compassion. In an ACT-based session, you can expect to develop a list of values and learn to adjust your behaviours in accordance with those values.

There are six key tenets of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Acceptance emphasizes kindness and understanding towards yourself. Being Present encourages you to stay grounded in the moment,  guided by mindfulness practices. The values portion of ACT helps you identify which values are important to you; Commitment means that you devote your actions and behaviours to be in line with these values. Diffusion helps you observe your thoughts rather than be controlled by them. Finally, Self-as-Context highlights that you, yourself, are the place from which your thoughts are coming from, but not your thoughts themselves.