Acceptance and commitment therapy

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a form of psychotherapy that uses acceptance, mindfulness, and values-guided action to build psychological flexibility.

Psychological flexibility: The capacity to stay in contact with the present and act in line with values, even amid difficult experiences. ACT names this capacity as its central therapeutic aim.
Values (ACT): Chosen qualities of ongoing action that give life direction, such as acting with care or curiosity. ACT uses values to orient behavior when immediate comfort cannot provide direction.
Steven C. Hayes: An American psychologist who helped develop acceptance and commitment therapy and relational frame theory. Hayes was a principal architect of ACT's theory and treatment model.
Chronic pain: Pain that persists or recurs beyond the usual course of healing, often affecting daily function. ACT aims to reduce pain-related struggle and support valued activity despite ongoing pain.
Cognitive defusion: A practice of noticing thoughts as thoughts rather than treating them as literal commands or facts. It changes how a person relates to distressing thoughts without requiring them to disappear.
Acceptance (psychology): An active willingness to experience thoughts, feelings, and sensations without unnecessary attempts to control them. ACT frames acceptance as making room for experience, not approving of it or giving up.
Kelly G. Wilson: An American clinical psychologist and researcher who helped develop and disseminate acceptance and commitment therapy. Wilson contributed to ACT's early clinical formulation and values-based methods.
Anxiety disorder: A mental disorder marked by excessive fear or anxiety that causes significant distress or impairment. ACT addresses avoidance and behavioral restriction that can maintain anxiety.
Experiential avoidance: Attempts to escape or control unwanted thoughts, emotions, memories, or bodily sensations. ACT targets avoidance when it narrows behavior and pulls people away from valued activities.
Mindfulness: The practice of attending to present experience with openness and reduced automatic judgment. ACT incorporates mindfulness practices but gives them a specific role in psychological flexibility.

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