What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?
All day long your brain creates thoughts because it is a problem-solving machine.
Sometimes these thoughts can be helpful and other times not so much, but they show up regardless.
These thoughts can hook you, take you down the rabbit hole, and continue to produce more thoughts and feelings, or have you engaged in behaviors that keep you from being the person you want to be.
Sometimes we may understand why they are present and sometimes we don’t. Sometimes we don’t even know what we are feeling.
Most often if there are uncomfortable thoughts or feelings such as anxiety, shame, self-doubt, anxious thoughts, or negative thoughts about self, attempts to avoid them begin.
You may throw yourself into work, keep yourself busy and on overdrive (hello toxic productivity), constant distractions, or check out and binge-watch the latest season of your favorite Netflix show.
If avoidance has been your go-to pattern for a while, chances are you may not even realize what is happening. The reality is though, your go-to coping method is making life more difficult for you in the long run.
The truth is pain and discomfort are part of life.
Acceptance and commitment therapy can provide a different way to experience the hard moments and make life more enjoyable.
Does this sound like what you experience?
If you are ready to start Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with me, click the button below to schedule your free 15-minute consultation.
How Can ACT Therapy Help You?
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based approach to mental health that focuses on building flexibility and resilience to challenging thoughts and feelings.
ACT uses a variety of therapeutic techniques, such as mindfulness, to help you become more aware of your thoughts and feelings.
ACT therapy is a very active form of therapy. It includes a lot of helpful exercises, activities, and metaphors, and involves the client to take committed action in their life where appropriate.
This helps you to become more present in the moment and to make intentional decisions that are in line with your values.
Acceptance and commitment therapy is based on six core processes to help improve psychological flexibility.
In ACT, it’s not about getting rid of (avoiding) thoughts and feelings but changing the relationship you have with your thoughts and feelings.
Throughout your ACT therapy experience, you can expect to learn new helpful skills to respond to thoughts and uncomfortable feelings.
The 6 Core Processes of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Include:
Acceptance - Acceptance is the opposite of avoidance and is the acknowledgment of your experiences.
Values - Being familiar with your values is important. They are qualities of your life that can help guide your decision-making, be the person you want to be, how you treat others, and how you want to behave.
Cognitive defusion - Helps the client to create a different relationship with unwanted thoughts. Cognitive defusion aims to reduce the belief in these statements as true and lessen the attachment to them.
Self-as-context - The concept of being aware of your experiences such as thoughts, feelings, urges, etc., and not being attached to them.
Being present - Mindfulness is an important part of ACT therapy and weaves its way into many of the core processes such as cognitive defusion, acceptance, and self-as-context. When you can be more mindful and present you can then start to take more action and be more consistent with your behaviors and responses.
Committed action - The great thing about taking committed action doesn’t necessarily mean you turn your whole life upside down and make major changes. Taking action is about setting and working on goals using your values, enhancing your skills through practice, and willingness to sit with uncomfortable thoughts and feelings for exposure.
Together all of these elements come to create psychological flexibility so you can change behaviors and act in alignment with your desired values.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Mental Health
ACT therapy can help with a variety of problems and concerns someone may experience and listed below are some of the common mental health struggles Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is effective at treating:
Depression
Obsessive and Compulsive Disorder
Social Anxiety
Substance Abuse
Chronic Pain
Benefits of ACT Therapy
High achievers and entrepreneurs are often driven by goals and ambition, and can sometimes become overwhelmed with stress and anxiety.
ACT helps to provide a sense of grounding and purpose in life, enabling them to stay focused on their goals while also reducing mental and emotional suffering.
Using ACT, clients can learn to be more mindful and present in their daily lives, while also gaining acceptance of their experiences.
Check out the reasons listed why Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is especially helpful for entrepreneurs and business owners:
Clarify your goals
Stay motivated
Improve and build relationships with others
Understand your “why”
Reduce stress and anxiety
Create a more fulfilling life
Start with an ACT Therapist in Wilmington, NC at Calm Waters Counseling
Does Acceptance and Commitment Therapy sound like the therapy experience you are wanting?
Follow the instructions below to begin online acceptance and commitment therapy today!
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation using the button below
Complete the brief questionnaire sent to your email
Meet with your new ACT therapist
Start living your life feeling more in control
Online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
I offer online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to residents of North Carolina and Maryland.
To learn more about starting online therapy in your state, click the links below.
Online ACT therapy in North Carolina
Online ACT therapy in Maryland
Online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is effective and offers the flexibility to meet your needs while still providing help and relief you want.
Online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for anxiety
What to Expect After Completing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Anxiety
In therapy, everyone has different experiences and attends therapy for different reasons.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is effective.
At the end of ACT therapy, these are some of the most common outcomes clients report:
More present focused and aware of your thoughts and feelings.
More familiarity with your values and how you can begin to live within your values
Improve relationships and foster social connections
Feel more in control and recognize the choices you can make
Improve sleep
Learn to respond to your anxiety and “what if” thoughts in a more helpful way
Improvement in communication and problem-solving abilities
Click the button below to get started in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for high achieving women today!
Want More Information on ACT Therapy?
There is a lot of information about acceptance and commitment therapy out there.
Check out these blog posts from The Not-So-Secret Anxiety Diary blog for more helpful information on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
Is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helpful for anxiety?
is ACT therapy for me?
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Wilmington, NC
I am a therapist Wilmington, NC, and provide online therapy to stressed-out and overwhelmed busy professional and high achieving women.
I understand that my stressed-out and overwhelmed high-achieving and entrepreneur clients experience stress, anxiety, self-doubt, perfectionism, and burnout.
To learn more about the services at Calm Waters Counseling in Wilmington, NC, click the links below.
Have More Questions About Starting Therapy at Calm Waters Counseling?
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