Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

A rocky path winds through tall, leafy trees with brown bark.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a cognitive approach to counselling created by Dr. Steven Hayes. Instead of changing our thoughts, ACT teaches us to become more flexible of how we relate to our thoughts, emotions and inner experiences. When we take our thoughts literally, we get stuck in increasingly rigid thinking and feeling. ACT uses principles of mindfulness and clear values to help us respond with acceptance and flexibility, in order to have more capacity to focus on what matters most to build a meaningful life.

ACT in counselling sessions includes reviewing the four main principles of mindfulness (acceptance, present moment awareness, cognitive defusion and self as context), as well as establishing your chosen values and small clear steps to increase those values in life.

To do this, we may:

  • Reflect on where you are getting stuck relating inflexibly to thoughts and emotions

  • Practice mindfulness together to relate to these inner experiences differently

  • Establish your values and evaluate where in your life you experience these

  • Explore ways to increase the presence of your values in your life