ACCEPTANCE AND COMMITMENT THERAPY
Information from the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has developed as a behavioral intervention to help people learn strategies to live life more in the present, more focused on important values and goals, and less focused on painful thoughts, feelings and experiences. ACT teaches people how to engage with and overcome painful thoughts and feelings through acceptance and mindfulness techniques, to develop self-compassion and flexibility, and to build life-enhancing patterns of behavior. ACT is not about overcoming pain or fighting emotions; it's about embracing life and feeling everything it has to offer. It offers a way out of suffering by choosing to live a life based on what matters most. ACT has developed within a scientific tradition, and there continues to be a thriving research community that examines the basic science underlying ACT and the effectiveness of applying ACT techniques to numerous life problems such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, substance abuse, chronic pain, psychosis, eating problems, and weight management, just to name a few.
Resources and Support: ACT for Personal Growth
Many people find that learning from and with others is a great way to enact important life changes. We suggest one or more of the following may best meet your needs:
Seeking a professional therapist with whom you feel comfortable
Attending a professionally run therapy group
Reading self-help books
Finding others with whom to learn about and discuss applying ACT principles to your life