What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT Therapy Explained)

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy or "ACT" said as one word is an evidence-based third wave cognitive behavioral therapy that teaches people how to accept their full experience, recognize patterns of avoidance and learn to break unhelpful patterns in service of their values and living a meaningful life.
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WORK WITH ME: If you're an adult living in California or North Carolina or in any of the 35+ PSYPACT States (psypact.org/mpage/psypactmap) and looking to start therapy, schedule a free consultation on my website or read my FAQ to learn more about me and my therapy process: theacttherapist.com/therapy
*DISCLAIMER: This channel provides general educational information about mental health and is not a substitute for psychotherapy nor intended to replace individual work with a licensed mental healthcare professional. If you are in need of help, seek out professional services from a licensed mental healthcare professional who can help you with your specific concerns.*

[@stevelewis8056]

So glad I found this channel! I'm a current MFT grad student and came across ACT during a lecture. My curiosity was instantly piqued. Thank you for sharing!

[@EzekielEshechiel]

Sounds like associative cognitive rescheduling (training) as well! Love the value based approach to personal organization

[@WellActualllyyy]

what is act starts at 5:05 amazing content btw!

[@theacttherapist]

Thank you! And thanks for the timestamp. I'm going to start adding them to the videos so folks can skip to what they want to see.

[@rdr.0383]

thnx.. its annoying that the reason I clicked here (th video title itself) is addressed so late in the video.. I almost left the video unfinished..

[@seanacai]

Just watched all your act clips. Thank you so so much for these amazingly informitive clips. I was really drawn towards act in class however the focus was placed on hhe underpinning theories behind it and we didnt have much time to put it into actual practice. You have delivered the pract9cal aspects so clearly, i cannot thank you enough. After i decompress from achedemia when my course finshes i really hope that i can find someone as knowlegable and as easy to understand as you that will guide me through the training

[@iamnotfarah]

Thank you so much for explaining this❤

[@willnorris2339]

Hi. I just came across A.C.T. tonight. It does seem a very interesting therapeutic approach. Mixing non judgemental behavioural analysis, with depth and the acknowledgement of the meaning of said behaviours. Ive had mental health 30 years now and found the Jungian approach to anxiety applys best to me. Also ive found different psychology schools ie cbt or analytical too seperate from each other. ACT seems to mix a few which can be powerful in a positive way. Feel free to comment or disagree or even not. Thank u for your video though, it was exacty what the doctor ordered for me tonight. Bye now Will.

[@SirPeach]

Thank you so much for this video!

[@theacttherapist]

Thank you! And thanks for commenting

[@mutiantait9224]

I love your energy and the way you delivered the content. Very helpful, thank you ❤

[@theacttherapist]

Thank you! I really appreciate the kind words!

[@lindahebb4832]

Thank you for posting

[@theacttherapist]

Thank you for taking the time to comment. I appreciate it.

[@Shivam98677]

The video is too good..love the way things are presented! Really helpful for people with OCD. SUBSCRIBED!

[@theacttherapist]

Thank you so much! I'm so glad to hear it was helpful. If you have any future video ideas you'd like to see please let me know. I'm hoping to get back into posting videos in the next few months.

[@mentalhealthrevolution9366]

Thank you! :)

[@seanacai]

You could say in act terms... I'm hooked😂

[@DoctorEyeHealth]

Yey for ACT! I have found a lot of stoic philosophy matches well with ACT.

[@theacttherapist]

Definitely! A lot of disciplines and practices speak to the idea of separating pain (a human experience we can't eliminate) from suffering (the extra special stuff we add on top of life). It's always fascinating to me to see how concepts and ideas change and influence different cultures across time.

[@martinwillms9545]

Hi Jessica, I love your channel and appreciate you sharing your thoughts here. I'm a therapist, have been doing some reading up on ACT, and I'm starting to integrate some of it into my practice. I'm looking for training to figure out how to become more skilled. My problem is that, while I love the model, some of the interventions I've seen leave me cold. They involve what sound like a bit of a wordy setup, what sometimes feel like leading questions and metaphors that - coming out of my mouth at least - sound and feel awkward. I've read references to more organic forms of ACT and listened to an interview with Kelly Wilson where he described some of his work with clients. My I thought then was - this is brilliant, and this is the way I want to do ACT. Assuming that this even is a way of doing ACT, I was wondering if you had any advice for me about how I could learn how to do ACT skillfully in this more organic fashion.

[@MarissaBeresfordxo]

Love this video! I am a therapist in Canada, do you have any recommendations on which ACT trainings are valuable? Definitely want to become an ACT therapist, I provide DBT right now and love it.

[@theacttherapist]

Thank you! DBT is one of those therapies I’ve dipped my toe in but would love to learn more. Unlike DBT, ACT doesn’t have a certification process so it can be a little more difficult to understand what the next steps are in learning. Companies like Praxis CET offer live and on demand ACT trainings that are good. You may also want to consider becoming an ACBS (association for Contextual behavioral science) member and you can get access to a lot of free recordings and such as a member. Good luck!

[@expensivepink7]

ACT is awesome! Hope it gets more popular. My PHP taught it alongside CBT, DBT, and CPT.

[@theacttherapist]

Love to hear that!

[@hamidpopal529]

Hey, great video, thank you. Just wondering how ACT fits into DBT (dialectical behavioural therapy) and if you could please kindly clarify how the cognitive defusion aspect of ACT actually works in a clinical setting with a patient that may be experiencing PTSD with loud noises as triggers. Once again, thanks. :)

[@theacttherapist]

Excellent question! Both ACT and DBT fall into a "third wave cognitive behavioral approach" meaning they focus on function of behaviors rather than good/bad or right/wrong and emphasize changing response to difficult experiences. DBT was specifically developed for Borderline Personality Disorder and has excellent evidence for it, however, it has also been found helpful for other struggles that include intense reactivity and emotion dysregulation. I have found that distress tolerance skills in DBT for example can be a great addition to using ACT with a client! In terms of defusion, the goal is to recognize how we are responding to this trigger or cue and engage with it in a way that gives us some space. This can be describing it from a place of curiosity, or something as simple as saying, "I am having the thought that X." When I was experiencing trauma triggers, sometimes just acknowledging, "okay, my body is having a reaction" and then describing that reaction can help get a little space from the intense fear attached. You may want to check out my video specifically on Defusion because I give some more examples and go into a little more depth. Thanks for the question!

[@Dr.RivkaEdery]

This is a great explanation, thank you 😊

[@audreyherrera6083]

Act should be covered by all insurances. Help mental health crisis.

[@theacttherapist]

As far as I know ACT is covered by insurance as an evidence based therapy however (at least here in the US) insurances don’t offer great mental health support at all regardless of type of therapy. Definitely something that needs to change!

[@claytonhubbard612]

What does a patient have to do in ACT therapy?

[@davewarner7849]

have your book, cool

[@theacttherapist]

Awesome! Thanks for taking a moment to post a comment :)

[@sek2589]

Any guidance on applying ACT to intense group setting where patients suffer from sever depression due to chronic pain, memory loss, TBI or even just the aging process?

[@Dr.RivkaEdery]

contextualconsulting.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Creative-Hopelessness-Russ-Harris.pdf

[@expensivepink7]

I’m not a therapist I’m a patient LOL but maybe teaching about pain arrows and drop the rope or just doing values sorting and identifying behaviors for each of the values could be helpful? I benefitted from that as a patient :)

[@Dr.RivkaEdery]

New subscriber here; with gratitude 🙏 ❤

[@theacttherapist]

Welcome! Thank you for taking the time to comment :)

[@antonio_carvalho]

Hi Jessica, I hope you come back to making videos, you have a great "voice" and interesting content that I'm sure will develop a fanbase if given enough time! Thank you!

[@theacttherapist]

Thank you so much for the encouragement! I've had a busy year and unfortunately making videos fell to the back of the list, but hoping to start recording again this summer!

[@Seanscichlids]

I wonder if ACT works for when you can't sleep at night when something important is coming up the next day. For example a plane flight, or a first date. I find my mind racing at night sometimes, and then I'm so worried what the affects of no sleep with be the next day or having to cancel plans that make me look bad.

[@theacttherapist]

This is an excellent question! Yes, ACT can work for this. Often times we have an initial thought that pops into our head that we don't really have control of (ex. "What if I miss my flight?" "What if I can't fall asleep and do terrible on that presentation?"). These thoughts are obviously distressing but they're just a single thought. The issue is we grab a hold of this thought and start analyzing it, running different scenarios through our mind, planning for contingencies, thinking through what happens if we don't fall asleep right away. These types of mental behaviors can be interrupted. I like to start by asking myself: #1. is this within my control in this moment? #2. is spending my time jumping down the mental rabbit hole helping my achieve my goal in this moment? #3. What could I be focused on to help? (breathing exercises, body scans, thinking through something pleasant, et.c #4. (not really a question) but reminding myself that my mind is trying to help me avoid disaster by posing these questions, it's just not super helpful. Hope this helps! Thanks for the video idea :)

[@Seanscichlids]

@@theacttherapist Great reply, and yes my mind goes through all of the scenarios when a big event is coming the next day, and it's something I can't really get out of. In February of 2021 I was supposed to have a first date after work on Friday night. Well I was so worried about not getting sleep that I was fearful of having to call of work, and cancel the date. I didn't sleep that night because my mind was racing too much. I did go to work, but had to cancel the date. I won't write out a book on here, but I started to focus so much on sleep that I went through insomnia for over a year. It was no longer the worry about sleeping for a big event it became worrying about sleep for everything. I talked to a couple of sleep coaches, and now I'm doing much better by accepting a bad night. Which isn't easy to do because nobody wants to accept a sleepless night. I've learned sleep is something natural, and trying to force it only leads to more problems. My rabbit hole was very deep. Now I would like to take ACT, but sadly my insurance company does not cover it. It seems mental health is not taken too seriously by insurance companies. I don't want to go to my doctor about anxiety because I know they will just prescribe medication. That is the last thing I want. My insurance does cover a clinical psychologist so I may try that. The only other option is for me to pay out of pocket. Long story short my brain reacts to a big event the night before as a danger. I believe this is because I had a few experiences in my past that I did not sleep, and the fear is still there. It's very easy to train your brain to fear something, but it's very hard to un-train it that there is no danger. As one of my sleep coaches said it's easy to go to 0 to 100, but not 100 to 0. Trying to calm the brain takes more time, and practice.

[@xSilentRecon]

do you know of any success with treating agoraphobia with ACT therapy? I've heard that ERP and interoceptive exposure therapy is more commonly used for it, but i've heard from someone online that they had huge success using ACT therapy for treating their agoraphobia.

[@theacttherapist]

Great question! Yes, I've used ACT with folks to treat agoraphobia. Usually it's a mic between ACT and exposure work. I kind of think of it like ACT is the framework or approach that sets the foundation and supports the exposure work you do in session. They can blend together very well. Exposure work is hard and often scary. I think ACT can help make it more approachable.

[@yvonnekneeshaw2784]

I am 67 and have had a multitude of surgeries & chronic pain since late 20’s. Now getting to the point where I get anxiety/panic whenever I see a dentist, Dr’s, etc. I spend most of my time going to appointments and on self care. I’ve been through Mind Over Mood (CBT) x 4 years back. Recently I saw a new therapist you suggested ACT as an option. My core thought is “I don’t enjoy being in this body of mine”. Might ACT help me? ❤🇨🇦

[@Dr.RivkaEdery]

It sounds like the concept of creative hopelessness in ACT might help: contextualconsulting.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Creative-Hopelessness-Russ-Harris.pdf Creative hopelessness is a concept in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). It refers to the realization that the strategies a person has been using to manage or eliminate their unwanted thoughts or feelings are not only ineffective but may actually exacerbate their problems. This realization can lead to a sense of hopelessness about the old ways of doing things, which in turn opens up space for new, more effective strategies. The 'creative' part refers to the idea that this hopelessness can be a catalyst for change.

[@expensivepink7]

I think ACT and DBT or just the concept of a dialectical and wise mind could possibly help you out? :) sending love (also I’m not a professional I am just a patient but these skills have been lifesaving for me)

[@steveluptak5886]

I’m a professional at occupying my body. And it needs to lift weights to feel good. Not walks, not massage, not sauna-I may deserve some pampering but that’s like saying I deserve cake. What I need is to lift heavy things till I can’t, then do it tomorrow (or more accurately the day after tomorrow). Therapists often say to get out of your mind and experience sensation. There’s no more out of mind and into body experience than having a bar on my chest that I might not be able to get off my chest. Ok, that’s extreme. Don’t start there. You’re a little older than me (53) and between your childhood and mine philosophy flipped-it went from if it hurts, rest it to if it hurts, work it harder tomorrow (assuming there’s no injury). I say this will all the sincerity and empathy I can muster as a stranger in Pittsburgh who woke up too early today. If you aren’t experienced at it, get a serious trainer for a week. But knowing nothing specific about you, my non-professional prescription for nearly everything starts at the same place: find a real gym (not Pilates, not yoga, not Zumba… a real gym with jackasses and posers and guys swearing and 20-year-old girls taking selfies) and lift weights.

[@brandonfant7134]

What books do you recommend on ACT as a therapist

[@fractail_]

I'm really surprised that no credit is given to Claire Weekes who pioneered and experimented similar approaches and published them in the 1960s

[@richardwilsonavena]

Its a shame that ACT practitioners charge so much. It seems that the people who probably need it the most cant afford it.

[@theacttherapist]

Hey! Thanks for commenting. I completely understand the frustration. I think ACT practitioners charge similar to other therapists and I believe they should be paid well for their time and expertise. The way insurance is set up for therapy makes it hard for people in small or solo practices to be paid regularly so a lot of folks end up being private pay which does limit accessibility. But there are ACT therapists who are in network with insurances! That may be an option to look into.

[@oera308]

It just goes to prove that money can't buy everything.

[@MohiddinMullaji]

Appreciate your sincere concern for people But I read a free book online bunch of times

[@carinaluxford241]

I wonder is ACT designed to remove us from painful and difficult feelings and the opportunity to express and process these? If this is the case then it sounds quite unhealthy to me.

[@juders4jimmy]

Could you please slow down a little? Thank you

[@theacttherapist]

Hi there! Sorry, yes, I tend to talk quite quickly. I'll try to be more mindful of it in the future. I also think you should be able to slow my video down. If you click the settings icon I think there is a playback speed button where you can make the video a little slower.

[@juders4jimmy]

Thank you so much for your response. You're very interesting and I enjoy you.@@theacttherapist

[@venturemogul]

ACT is self help with another name.

[@theacttherapist]

Hey there! I think of self-help more as a level of education than a type of therapy. ACT can be applied in a self-help/self-directed manner. It can also be used in therapy settings and has great evidence for that. Hope you found something useful for you either in this video or somewhere else!

[@tomh9875]

I don’t understand your point. Self help is many things; the common thread is that the help is self-administered. ACT is not intrinsically self-administered.

[@elephantgratitude]

That’s like saying Keto is an all you can eat buffet with another name

[@andreasilvarobbins641]

Please use less edits. The screen hopping after each sentence makes it impossible to focus on your message

[@giladbigel5775]

Takled for 8 minutes and say nothings

[@idlikemoreprivacy9716]

Why do you need to impose the assumption something is "wrong", "broken" or you know some "truth" alien to the client? Your examples are alarming.