Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Therapy

ACT is grounded in behavioural psychology and mindfulness-based approaches. It is based on the understanding that:

• Emotional pain is a normal part of being human

• Attempts to control or avoid difficult thoughts and feelings can increase suffering

• Change comes from learning to respond differently to inner experiences

ACT focuses on helping you build psychological flexibility — the ability to stay present, open, and engaged in life, even when things are difficult.

ACT works by helping you:

• Notice and step back from unhelpful thoughts

• Make room for difficult emotions rather than fighting them

• Become more present and connected to the here and now

• Clarify what matters most to you

• Take committed action aligned with your values

ACT therapy is practical, experiential, and compassionate, using metaphors and exercises to support understanding and change.

ACT can be helpful for a wide range of emotional and psychological difficulties, including:

• Anxiety and worry

• Depression and low mood

• Stress and burnout

• Trauma-related distress

• Chronic pain or health conditions

• Low self-esteem and self-criticism

• Emotional avoidance and feeling stuck

ACT is particularly useful when difficulties are long-standing or resistant to change-focused approaches alone.

ACT helps with anxiety by:

• Reducing the struggle with anxious thoughts and sensations

• Supporting a more accepting relationship with fear

• Decreasing avoidance of anxiety-provoking situations

• Encouraging meaningful action despite anxiety

Rather than aiming to eliminate anxiety, ACT helps reduce its impact on your life.

For depression, ACT focuses on:

• Reducing entanglement with self-critical or hopeless thoughts

• Increasing engagement in valued activities

• Reconnecting with meaning and purpose

• Supporting compassionate self-awareness

ACT helps people move forward even when motivation or mood feels low.

ACT can be helpful for people living with trauma-related distress by:

• Supporting safe contact with painful emotions

• Reducing avoidance that keeps distress going

• Encouraging present-moment awareness

• Strengthening a sense of agency and choice

ACT is not exposure-based trauma therapy but can be a powerful part of trauma-informed work.

• ACT is sometimes misunderstood. It is not:

  • Giving up or “just accepting” suffering

  • Positive thinking

  • Mindfulness without purpose

  • Ignoring the desire for change

  ACT is about acceptance and change working together.

• • An initial assessment to understand your difficulties and values

  • Experiential exercises and reflection

  • Practical strategies to support psychological flexibility

  • A compassionate, collaborative therapeutic relationship

  • Ongoing review of progress and goals

  ACT sessions are paced to suit your needs and readiness.

• ACT may be helpful if you:

  • Feel stuck fighting your thoughts or emotions

  • Want to live more in line with your values

  • Struggle with anxiety, depression, or burnout

  • Prefer a flexible, compassionate approach to therapy

  If you are unsure, this can be explored together in an initial consultation.