Acceptance and Commitment Therapy or ACT is a form of clinical behaviour analysis. It uses acceptance and mindfulness strategies combined with commitment and behaviour-change strategies to increase psychological flexibility. To achieve this the therapist helps the person clarify their personal values and to take action on them. This brings more vitality and meaning to their life in the process, increasing their psychological flexibility.
ACT commonly employs six key principles to help clients develop psychological flexibility:
- Cognitive defusion: Learning methods to reduce the tendency to have enmeshed thoughts and emotions.
- Acceptance: Allowing thoughts to come and go without struggling with them.
- Contact with the present moment: Being in the moment, experienced with openness, interest, and receptiveness.
- Observing the self: Self obervation that assist with change.
- Values: Discovering what is most important to one's true self.
- Committed action: Setting goals according to values and carrying them out responsibly.