What Is Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)?
ACT is a form of CBT that helps us learn a different way of relating to our thoughts and emotions, so they don’t have as much power over us. Through ACT techniques such as cognitive defusion, anchoring, and observing mindfully, you can learn to handle difficult thoughts and emotions more effectively. Over time, and with practice, your improved reactions to distressing thoughts allows you to engage in more productive and fulfilling behaviors. ACT has been shown effective not only for anxiety and depression but for many emotional and behavioral conditions.
How Does ACT Therapy Work?
When our minds get hooked by negative thoughts and emotions it can take control of our actions, leading to unhealthy behaviors like avoidance, procrastination, addictions, or poor decision making. Through a process called cognitive diffusion, ACT teaches us how to create a healthy distance between ourselves and our distressing thoughts. This allows our minds to become unhooked, freeing us to take positive actions consistent with our life goals and values.
What Does Acceptance & Commitment Therapy Treat?
Anxiety
ACT therapy is very powerful for people who struggle with anxiety. Anxiety is often characterized by negative thoughts and feelings of fear, dread, and concern. People with anxiety can begin experiencing anxiety about their anxiety, resulting in a spiral of emotions. ACT therapy helps people with anxiety learn to pause and notice their anxious feelings without passing judgment, allowing them to move more quickly through them and enact positive behaviors to improve their condition.
Social Anxiety
While cognitive behavioral therapy is usually the solution for social anxiety, many patients find benefits in ACT therapy. The mindfulness portion of ACT can help people with social anxiety to notice their anxious thoughts in social situations and to employ processes and actions to move through them to less distress.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Most often, OCD is treated using ERP therapy, but acceptance and commitment therapy techniques can help reduce the level of anxiety that comes with compulsions and lessen the need to enact rituals.
Depression
After determining what type of depression you’re struggling with, ACT therapy exercises can help you better manage painful thoughts and feelings. Instead of feeling the need to run from problems that arise, you’ll be able to face them head-on with greater skill at distress tolerance and self-compassion.
Phobias
Face your phobias with less fear and build a newfound resilience. Acceptance and commitment therapy can help you rewire the part of your mind that creates those fearful reactions by habituating to the fear. Once habituated it's easier to overcome your phobias.
What Is It Like Doing ACT Therapy?
Acceptance and commitment therapy is a “third wave” form of cognitive behavioral therapy. Sessions focus on teaching you skills and tools to tolerate difficult thoughts and emotions, so you don’t get hooked by them. You’ll practice these skills outside sessions in real life situations. Over time you can learn to take positive action (ACT) despite having very uncomfortable feelings, allowing you to live life according to your true values.
Common Techniques
The ACT therapy process focuses on:
Cognitive defusion:
Teaches you how to handle difficult thoughts and feelings more effectively.
Being present:
Let go of judgments or predictions and simply be deeply aware of the moment.
Self as context:
Remember that you as a whole are much more than just your experiences.
Values:
Choose the life values you’d like to work towards.
Commitment:
Commit to the action that will create the positive change you deserve.
Benefits of ACT Therapy
Acceptance & Commitment therapy offers a range of benefits, some of which include:
- Reducing worry and stress
- Handling difficult thoughts & feelings more effectively
- Gain greater psychological flexibility
- Improve ability to tolerate uncertainty
- Break self-defeating habits
- Take positive action according to your true values
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy at Behavioral Health of New York
1. Contact Our Office
Call us or fill out our contact form to get started.
2. Consultation with Dr. Levy
All new clients receive an initial consultation with Dr. Mitchell S. Levy, our practice director.
3. Schedule Your Sessions
Behavioral Health of New York will set up sessions at times that are most convenient for you.
Feel Better with ACT Therapy
Schedule a consultation for acceptance and commitment therapy at Behavioral Health of New York today.
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