ACT - Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
ACT is a unique and creative model for both therapy and coaching, integrating mindfulness
practices with core personal values and committed action. Its central aim is to cultivate psychological flexibility, empowering individuals to live rich, fulfilling, and mindful lives aligned with their deepest values. As a pivotal approach within the third wave of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), ACT has significantly advanced the field of therapeutic practice.
Two common assumptions that often shape human behavior, and contribute
substantially to life's challenges and our suffering are:
- "I'm not happy so something is wrong with me.”
- "Pain must be avoided at all costs."
- "Happiness means that I should feel good all the time"
While it may sound counterintuitive, an alternative perspective involves making space for our uncomfortable emotions and to realize that it is a very natural part of life. Assumptions like the ones above, though well-intentioned, often lead to increased suffering through destructive avoidance behaviors and a relentless chase for fleeting pleasures.
The ACT Approach: A More Genuine Path
ACT offers a potentially transformative alternative. It acknowledges that pain and
hardship are inevitable parts of the human experience. Engaging in avoidance
behaviors or chasing temporary happiness can inadvertently diminish vitality,
authenticity, and connection to our true selves.
Kelly Wilson, one of ACT's founders, eloquently highlights this:
"If suffering is ubiquitous in life, the withdrawal from and avoidance of suffering is
accordingly the withdrawal from and avoidance of life. You."
By embracing the full spectrum of human experience, including discomfort, we can build
psychological flexibility and focus on what truly matters. ACT provides a range of
techniques and exercises designed to promote openness, adaptability, and a fresh
perspective, enabling individuals to live richer, more meaningful lives.
How ACT Works
ACT supports this transformation through three key processes:
1. Developing Psychological Flexibility
Learn skills to navigate difficult thoughts and emotions more effectively, reducing
their impact and influence on your actions.
2. Clarifying Core Values
Reflect on the guiding principles that represent how you wish to live, relate to
yourself and others, and engage with the world. These values act as a compass,
inspiring purposeful action to face fears, pursue what matters most, and create
meaningful change.
3. Cultivating Present-Moment Awareness
Direct your attention to the present, embracing mindfulness in whatever you are doing.
The Importance of Self-Compassion
A cornerstone of ACT is fostering self-compassion. Over the past decade, a growing
body of research has underscored self-compassion as one of the most vital life skills. In
a world often dominated by competition and comparison, learning to treat yourself with
kindness and understanding, becoming your own best friend or at least a good ally, is
invaluable.
Through self-compassion and the principles of ACT, individuals can nurture resilience,
reconnect with their values, and live authentically, even amidst life's inevitable
challenges.
