Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a talk therapy for treating symptoms of depression. ACT helps individuals make changes so that they can have full, rich, and meaningful lives. The focus in ACT is to help you live more closely to your values. It also helps you to be more accepting of yourself. ACT helps individuals to have better relationships with themselves, others, and the world. Individuals learn to identify and engage in activities that are in line with what they care about.
“ The goal of (ACT) is to increase psychological flexibility, or the ability to enter the present moment more fully and either change or persist in behavior when doing so serves valued ends..”
Be more present to the “here-and-now.” This focus helps to decrease being caught up in what happened in the past. It also frees individuals from worrying too much about the future. Being present helps you to more fully connect to and enjoy the moment.
By participating in ACT, you will learn to:
Observe thoughts and feelings in such a way that they no longer keep you stuck in life. Learning to observe through openness and acceptance can help you find freedom from negative thoughts and feelings.
Relationship Skills
Clarify your values and then take action. Finding what is most meaningful to you and choosing to act on these values are important parts of the therapy. This will be part of the process of building a rich and full life.
What is acceptance and commitment therapy examples?
Client: “I want to change, BUT I am too anxious.” Social worker: “You want to change, AND you are anxious about it.” This subtle verbal and cognitive shift is the essence of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). It suggests that a person can take action without first changing or eliminating feelings.
Six Principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- Cognitive defusion
- Expansion and acceptance
- Contact and connection with the present moment
- The Observing Self
- Values clarification
- Committed action
What is ACT therapy best for?
The key benefit of ACT is that it can help patients battle mental disorders like anxiety and depression without using medication. It teaches patients to change the way they relate to their negative thoughts and emotions so that these thoughts don’t take over.
Call 612-412-3318 and speak to any of our office staff to learn more or schedule an appointment.
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