Why I Use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in my Practice

When I first discovered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) I was amazed by how compatible it felt with my worldview and character. 

Accepting negative situations and taking action is difficult for many of us. How does ACT help us move forward and make progress? 

First of all, ACT teaches us that we need to have self-awareness in order to accept any situation. Once we identify our negative thoughts and feelings, ACT wants us to accept our personal negatives as they are, instead of distracting, suppressing, or denying their existence. This teaches and helps us to accept situations that are out of our control. 

ACT also helps us detach from our negative thoughts by a process called cognitive defusion. We do this by realizing that thoughts are not facts. ACT teaches that we see ourselves as context, not content. We are the observant of our thoughts and feelings. ACT shows us how to observe them with an objective and non-judgemental stance. Another principle of ACT is focusing on the present moment, instead of being stuck in the past or being worried about the future. ACT also wants us to draw on our values in order to make meaningful changes. Our values are our motivators to guide us towards a better life. Finally, ACT urges us to take required actions with a sense of commitment. When we learn and practice all components of ACT, we already feel  ready to make a commitment.