Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT is based on accepting what is while committing to making choices that are aligned with one’s personal values and goals. ACT accepts the universal nature of human struggle and suffering while promoting action that moves individuals towards a life they value in spite of it. ACT encourages individuals to consider that it is how we respond to thoughts and feelings that matters rather than the thoughts and feelings themselves – this concept is referred to as psychological flexibility.
There are six areas I focus on when using the ACT approach:
- Living in the present moment
- Identifying what matters
- Committing to act consistent with the life you want
- Increasing self awareness
- Noticing your thinking
- Openness to accepting what is
Counselling using an ACT approach includes the use of a lot of metaphors which help individuals remember the techniques and adopt them in their own lives. It offers a practical standpoint from which to address some of life’s difficulties, highlighting how we choose to move either towards or away from who or what we value in life.