ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy)

ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) differs from CBT in that it is less interested in the content of the thoughts and more interested in how we respond to the thoughts we have. If we get caught up with negative thoughts regardless of what those thoughts say and start worrying and ruminating about them, we will lose ourselves in our minds and will not be present in the moment.

ACT is based on the idea that, generally, trying to get rid of pain and difficult emotions or thoughts actually feeds into them and makes them worse. If instead we are able to accept them we can focus on our values and goals. Acceptance doesn’t mean resignation but an acknowledgement of and a willingness to experience difficult emotions  so that we can focus our energy on dealing with situations in a constructive way in line with our values for life.

Through ACT we learn to make room for painful feelings, thoughts, and sensations – allowing them to be there, coming and going without us struggling against them. One of the main ‘ingredients’ of ACT is Mindfulness.