Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is mindfulness-based behavioural therapy that gets its name from one of its core messages: accept what is out of your personal control, and commit to taking action that enriches your life (Russ Harris, 2009).
The goal of ACT is to help one create a meaningful, rich, and value-driven life, whilst accepting the difficulties and pain that life brings. ACT achieves this by:
Learning mindfulness-based skills to manage painful thoughts and feelings in a more effective way; therefore, decreasing the impact and influence they have on one’s wellbeing.
Helping one clarify what is truly important and meaningful (i.e., our values), and using this knowledge to guide, inspire, and motivate one to set goals and take action.
ACT has been found to be effective in the treatment of depression, anxiety, workplace stress, and chronic pain.