Acceptance Commitment Therapy

 As life is about change, adaptation, and accepting change is the constant, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, ACT Therapy is approach to life and a philosophy we can all benefit from.

ACT therapy uses six core processes to increase psychological flexibility, helping individuals accept and process emotions and to recognize a life aligned with their values.  

Here are a few core practices of ACT:

Acceptance, Opening Up: Actively allowing thoughts, feelings, and sensations to exist without fighting or attempting to control them.

Cognitive Defusion, Observing from Thoughts: Stepping back and observing thoughts as passing language or mental events, rather than absolute truths or commands that must be followed.

Being Present, Mindfulness: Bringing awareness to the present moment with curiosity and openness.

Self-as-Context, The Observing Self: Developing a sense of self that is separate from thoughts, feelings, and experiences, acceptance of these states from a stable, observing perspective. 

Values, Knowing What Matters: Clarifying what is most important to you, discovering what you want to stand for in life, such as being caring, brave, or creative. 

Committed Action, Doing What Matters: Taking concrete steps to change behavior in accordance with your chosen values, even when the present proves difficult at times.  

The 4 A’s of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, ACT Therapy are:
Acknowledge
Allow
Accommodate
Appreciate.

Acknowledge, Allow, Accommodate, Appreciate provides a framework for processing emotions, thoughts, or sensations by embracing them as we may experience at times conflict with them or our defenses may arise due to our experiences. 

This experiential acceptance approach helps individuals reduce emotional avoidance to live more value-driven lives.  

The 4 A’s of Acceptance Acknowledge

Become aware of and recognize the presence of emotions, thoughts, or sensations without judgment. 

Allow: Make space for the feeling, allowing it to exist rather than attempting to suppress, avoid, or eliminate it. 

Accommodate: Make room for the emotion, accepting its presence. 

Appreciate: Recognize the emotion, understanding what it is trying to communicate or why it is trying to protect you.  

Acknowledge, Allow, Accommodate, and Appreciate is a specific formula used in ACT training by Dr. Russ Harris, it is often associated with or described as: 

Experiential Acceptance: Embracing internal experiences thoughts and feelings. 

Mindfulness and Awareness: Being present and aware. 

Cognitive Defusion: Observing and processing thoughts.