Exploring Therapy: Acceptance & Commitment

Mindfulness:

“A mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.” (Oxford Languages, 2021).

Today in our Exploring Therapy series we’ll be providing a broad overview of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).  ACT is a mindfulness-based approach to therapy that focuses LESS on the reduction of unwanted symptoms (e.g. overreactive stress or anxiety) and MUCH more on a person’s personal values and worldview, and how they can move toward a greater sense of compassion, forgiveness, and acceptance of their current situation.  ACT invites people to gain greater awareness of their upsetting feelings and learn not to overreact to them through mindfulness practice. 

When participating in ACT, a client will participate in exercising mindfulness and learn how to stay in the present moment. The focus is shifted away from negative experiences and emotions, but the reduction of these symptoms is a natural by-product of mindfulness practice.  Instead of avoiding triggering situations, clients are encouraged to live in the present moment, but learn skills to lessen the upset that comes with triggering situations.  The goal of therapy for clients to experience greater richness and meaning in their life, while fully coming to terms with the pain and hardship that comes alongside it.