The Power of Acceptance: How ACT Can Help You Live a More Meaningful Life
Do you feel like your thoughts and emotions hold you back from living a life that truly matters to you? Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) was developed in the 1980s by psychologist Steven Hayes and his colleagues to address situations where traditional Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) didn’t seem effective. They observed that some people experienced increased distress when they tried to challenge or control negative thoughts and emotions. Unlike CBT, which primarily focuses on changing unhelpful thoughts, ACT encourages acceptance of thoughts and feelings and promotes flexibility over control.
The Six Core Principles of ACT
The ACT model is based on six principles, each designed to help people develop a healthier relationship with their thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. These principles encourage acceptance and alignment with personal values, creating a flexible and resilient mindset.
Contact with the Present Moment: Practice mindfulness to stay grounded in the here and now.
Acceptance: Allow difficult feelings to be present without trying to change or avoid them.
Values: Identify what genuinely matters to you and let it guide your actions.
Cognitive Defusion: Learn to "unhook" from unhelpful thoughts rather than getting caught up in them.
Self-as-Context: Cultivate a flexible, non-judgmental view of yourself, fostering growth.
Committed Action: Take meaningful steps that align with your values, even when it’s challenging.
Who Can Benefit from ACT?
Research shows that ACT can be effective for managing depression, anxiety, grief, substance dependence, and chronic pain, making it a versatile approach for a wide range of challenges. ACT is particularly beneficial when logical reassurance or thought-challenging fails to ease distress. For example, while some individuals find relief by questioning anxious thoughts (e.g., "How likely is this to happen and can I handle it?"), others become more fixated, intensifying their distress. ACT's goal is not to eliminate these thoughts and feelings or even to like them but to learn to accept them, which is particularly helpful in situations that are unlikely to change.
What to Expect in an ACT Session
ACT sessions typically begin with an initial assessment, where your Psychologist gets to know you and your challenges. This helps to clarify what may be keeping you stuck and to determine if ACT is the right approach for you. Sessions often include exploring and practicing the following strategies:
Mindfulness: Cultivate non-judgmental awareness of thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and your surroundings. This may be particularly helpful during stressful moments by using your breath or environmental cues to stay present.
Cognitive Defusion: Learn techniques to observe and "unhook" from repetitive or catastrophic thoughts. This can be useful when you're stuck in negative thinking patterns.
Acceptance: Practice sitting with uncomfortable feelings without trying to distract, avoid, numb, or suppress them. This is especially helpful in situations that evoke difficult emotions or bodily sensations.
Values: Identify what truly matters to you. This process can help bring clarity when you're feeling lost or uncertain.
Committed Action: Set realistic goals that align with your values to foster meaningful change. This can be particularly helpful when you're dissatisfied with your current situation.
Self-as-Context: Develop a more objective and flexible view of yourself to support growth and resilience.
If you’re ready to explore a more fulfilling way of living, reach out to Bella Vida Psychology. We offer a free 15-minute consultation to discuss how ACT can help you approach life with acceptance, presence, and meaningful action. Contact us today to take the first step toward a values-driven life.
This blog utilised the following resources, in addition to my own clinical experience and knowledge.
Gloster, A. T., Walder, N., Levin, M. E., Twohig, M. P., & Karekla, M. (2020). The empirical status of acceptance and commitment therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 18, 181–192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2020.09.009
Ferreira, M. G., Mariano, L. I., Rezende, J. V., Caramelli, P., & Kishita, N. (2022). Effects of group Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on anxiety and depressive symptoms in adults: A meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 309, 297–308. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2022.04.134
Heydari, M., Masafi, S., Jafari, M., Saadat, S. H., & Shahyad, S. (2018). Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on anxiety and depression of Razi Psychiatric Center staff. Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences, 6(2), 410–415. https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2018.064
Beygi, Z., Tighband Jangali, R., Derakhshan, N., Alidadi, M., Javanbakhsh, F., & Mahboobizadeh, M. (2023). An overview of reviews on the effects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on depression and anxiety. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry, 18(2), 248–257. https://doi.org/10.18502/ijps.v18i2.12373
Willi, N., Pancoast, A., Drikaki, I., & Berghs, M. (2024). Practitioner perspectives on the use of acceptance and commitment therapy for bereavement support: A qualitative study. BMC Palliative Care, 23, Article 59. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-024-01390-x
Recommended reading:
The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living by Russ Harris
The Reality Slap: How to Survive and Thrive When Life Hits Hard by Russ Harris