ACT Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps you relate differently the thoughts and feelings that are creating distress, which relieves the distress.
Does this sound familiar? You may be feeling upset with yourself, amped up and tense. Or perhaps you feel numb, frozen and unable to focus at work or home.
Perhaps you are judging yourself for feeling depressed or anxious, thinking you have a pretty good life and things are “fine.” Maybe you can’t understand why you feel this way and feel like your emotions aren’t matching your current experience.
Or maybe things aren’t fine right now. Your partner says you’re acting angry, being moody or distant or spending too much time at work or on your Xbox.
Clients often come to me confused or overwhelmed with their feelings about experiences that they couldn’t control. As we explore these feelings, we discover that we often have less control over our thoughts and feelings than we often believe. Learning to let go of our need for control creates greater psychological flexibility and improved capacity for coping with stressors.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people accept their thoughts and feelings rather than trying to control them, which leads to a more fulfilling and productive life.
ACT is a process I use to help clients accept their thoughts and feelings rather than trying to control them, because trying to control something that we cannot control creates psychological distress.
ACT probably sounds really touchy feely and many people I work with hesitate to start because they aren’t into that. But let’s face it, the tools you’re using now aren’t working. Not embracing the full range of human emotions is like boxing with one arm tied behind your back.
Learning what your feelings actually are and why they matter empowers you to stay on your feet even when life throws you a left hook. ACT can enhance your ability to create the life you really want, accomplish your goals, and feel good about how you’re living your life.
You may start feeling better as soon as the first session, as you gain tools to accept what you’re feeling right now without trying to change it.
ACT may be right for you if….
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You’re feeling distant from your partner
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You had a new baby and you wish you felt more connected
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Your family is getting on your nerves
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You’re wondering if you ever should have started a family
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You’re feeling the pressure of supporting your family or caring for them in non-financial ways
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You’re finding yourself working more than you’d like, either because of financial pressure or to avoid going home
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You’ve never done therapy before
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Able to recognize feelings and name them
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Develop the ability to sit with them without needing to change them or escape (over working, video games, nights out with friends)
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Feeling more self aware
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Feelings will be easily named and manageable
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More connected to your loved ones
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More committed to your goals
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Motivated to accomplish the things that matter to you
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Able to handle difficult situations with ease (up all night with a sleepless baby, soothe your partner when they are upset, or meeting deadline at work)
What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)?
6 Core Principles of ACT
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Acceptance: It’s ok that you feel what you feel
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Cognitive Defusion: Noticing that you have thoughts, and watching them go by rather than sitting in them
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Being Present: Engaging fully in the current moment and experiences
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Self-as-Context: Understanding one’s self as a separate observer of thoughts and feelings
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Values: Identifying personal values and what truly matters in life
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Committed Action: Doing the things that really matter to you
How does ACT work?
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps you relate differently the thoughts and feelings that are creating distress, which relieves the distress.
Long Term Benefits of ACT
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Ability to see situations from several perspectives and find a wider variety of ways to respond to difficult situations
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Ability to stay in the present moment without ruminating on the past or worrying about the future
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Living a life that matters to you and fulfills you
You may only know two ways of coping with a situation or thinking about a situation. For example, if your child yells at you you may only know to yell back or do whatever you can to appease them. But there are other options, and increased psychological flexibility can help you find a third way- such as sitting down with them, allowing their feelings to move through their body and being a safe place for them to calm down and co-regulate with you.
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