From Struggle to Acceptance: The Benefits of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
When faced with challenging thoughts and feelings, conventional wisdom often tells us to “look at the bright side” or “focus on the positive.” Some therapies even suggest challenging these feelings with evidence or logic. However, these approaches can inadvertently intensify our pain and suffering. By constantly pushing these thoughts and feelings aside or battling them, we may find ourselves in a never-ending cycle of distress. If this sounds like you, I would love to introduce you to a new approach that focuses less on reducing the challenging thoughts and feelings. Instead, it emphasizes values, acceptance, compassion, mindfulness, forgiveness, and accessing our greater self, which can naturally reduce challenging thoughts and feelings as a byproduct.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (pronounced as the word ‘act’) is a mindfulness-based behavioural therapy that challenges the unwritten rules of the “think positive” attitude prevalent in Western society. At its core, ACT fosters psychological flexibility and growth by encouraging the client to be present, open up, and engage in actions aligned with their values. Research has shown that ACT is effective in managing a wide range of clinical conditions, such as depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, addiction, workplace stress, chronic pain and schizophrenia (Harris, 2006).
The Evolution of ACT
Developed in 1986 by Steven Hayes, ACT is considered part of the "third wave" of behavioural therapy, alongside Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), all of which emphasize the development of mindfulness skills. ACT is different from other modalities because of its individualistic approach. It is not a manualized treatment, allowing therapists to tailor the treatment and skill-building to the unique needs of their clients. The goal of ACT is to change our relationship with our challenging thoughts and feelings. Rather than seeing them as a symptom or problem to solve, ACT encourages us to perceive these feelings as harmless, though sometimes uncomfortable, allowing us to focus on what matters in life and living according to our values. In doing so, reducing these feelings happens as a byproduct of focusing on what is meaningful in life.
How ACT Works
The reason we refer to it as ACT, the word, rather than the acronym, is because ACT is an actionable therapy modality. It is not just talking about your problems and feelings; it is about building the life you want to live with the support of your counsellor. ACT has six core processes, which can be divided into three parts to achieve psychological flexibility:
Open Up: Using the processes of unhooking and acceptance allows us to separate from our thoughts and feelings, see them for what they truly are, make space for them, and allow them to come and go without affecting our behaviour.
Be Present: Using the processes of contacting the present moment and the observer self involves being flexible and paying attention to your here-and-now experience.
Do What Matters: Using the values and committed action processes allows us to initiate and sustain life-enhancing actions and behaviours.
One of the foundational pieces of ACT is learning how to unhook from challenging thoughts and feelings so that YOU are in control of your actions and behaviours, not your thoughts and feelings. The first step to do this is with a strategy called “Notice and Name” (Harris, 2021). Instead of saying, “I am anxious,” you say, “I am noticing anxiety.” This small change in wording allows us to observe the feeling without letting it control our behaviours. Additionally, ACT helps to clarify your values and define what matters most to you: what you want to stand for in life, what strengths and qualities you want to develop, and how you want to treat yourself and others. By using these values, you can figure out how you can use them in your actions to help solve your problems, face challenges, and do things that make your life better.
In conclusion, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy offers a refreshing and practical approach to dealing with life’s challenges. By emphasizing mindfulness, acceptance, and commitment to values-based actions, ACT helps develop psychological flexibility and lead more fulfilling lives. Rather than battling against negative thoughts and feelings, ACT teaches us to coexist with them while staying focused on what truly matters. This shift in perspective can transform our relationship with our inner experiences and pave the way for a richer, more meaningful life.
References Harris, R. (2021). When life hits hard. New Harbinger Publications. Harris, R. (2006). Embracing Your Demons: An Overview of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Psychotherapy in Australia, 12(4).