Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy that uses mindfulness and acceptance strategies mixed in different ways with commitment and behavior-change strategies, to increase psychological flexibility. The goal of ACT is to help clients live a rich, full, and meaningful life while accepting the pain that inevitably goes with it. ACT teaches mindfulness skills to help individuals deal with painful thoughts and feelings effectively and in such a way that they have much less impact and influence over their lives. References: Hayes, S.C., Strosahl, K.D., & Wilson, K.G. (1999). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: An Experiential Approach to Behavior Change. Guilford Press. Hayes, S.C., Luoma, J.B., Bond, F.W., Masuda, A., & Lillis, J. (2006). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: Model, processes, and outcomes. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 44(1), 1-25.