This accessible information handout describes the key principles of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT).
Offers theory, guidance, and prompts for mental health professionals. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.
Includes client-friendly guidance. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based psychological intervention that helps people build a more flexible and values-guided life, even in the presence of difficult thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Central to ACT is the understanding that psychological distress often arises not from the content of our thoughts or emotions, but from how we relate to them and the efforts we make to avoid or control them. ACT helps people develop greater psychological flexibility by fostering acceptance, present-moment awareness, and committed action. This What Is Acceptance And Commitment Therapy (ACT)? information handout introduces clients to ACT, offering an overview of its core processes and therapeutic focus.
This handout provides an accessible yet comprehensive explanation of ACT. Therapists can use to:
Start a conversation about the potential benefits of ACT.
Use the information handout to explore the key ideas in ACT.
Help clients reflect on how ACT might be helpful to them.
Use the handout to consolidate client learning between sessions.
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based psychological intervention that aims to enhance psychological flexibility: the capacity to stay present, respond openly to internal experiences, and take meaningful action in line with personal values (Hayes et al., 2012). It is part of a newer generation of behavioral therapies that focus on things like mindfulness, values, and the meaning behind our actions, rather than solely behaviour change.
ACT is grounded in functional contextualism, a philosophical stance that prioritizes workability in context over symptom removal or cognitive accuracy. The approach is underpinned by relational frame theory (RFT), a behavior-analytic account of language and cognition that helps explain how verbal processes contribute to psychological suffering (Hayes et al., 2001).
In ACT, emotional pain and distress are not seen as signs that something is wrong, but as a natural part of being human. The goal is not to get rid of these experiences, but to change how people respond to them. Rather than trying to challenge or control thoughts and feelings, ACT helps people build a different relationship with their inner world so that difficult thoughts, emotions, and sensations have less influence over their actions. In essence, the aim is not to feel better, but to live better.
ACT has been evaluated in clinical research and has demonstrated beneficial outcomes across multiple studies (A-Tjak et al., 2015). Clinical guidelines such as those developed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommend that ACT is considered for people 16 years and over experiencing chronic primary pain (NICE, 2021). In addition, the American Psychological Association (APA) classify ACT as having ‘modest’ research support for the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression (pending re-evaluation), for example (American Psychological Association, Division 12, 2022). Therapists are encouraged to review best practice guidelines if they are considering offering ACT for the treatment of a specific disorder or condition.
Working...
