Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Online
What is ACT?
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) holds that modern day society has conditioned us to believe that we should be happy pretty much all of the time.
Therein lies the problem, as humans, we inevitably experience negative and unwanted feelings and thoughts, when we criticise ourselves for thinking negatively, we double our issues.
ACT aims to help us to learn to create a rich and meaningful existence while accepting that there will be difficulties along the way.
ACT is a mindfulness-based behavioural therapy that holds the belief that rather than insisting on getting rid of all negative thoughts and feelings, we ‘accept’ that these are a part of the human condition. It draws on mindfulness strategies to help us change our relationship to, and even ‘make room’ for difficult thoughts and feelings.
ACT doesn’t stop with accepting – a second key aspect is commitment; commitment to taking action so that we live by our own values whatever these may be. Our values (e.g. honesty, kindness, determination) are the direction we want to head in. It’s important that we know what our own unique values are, and that we strive to live by them as we know that the larger the gap between the way we live our lives and our values, the more we will struggle with accepting ourselves.
The Principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
There are 6 key principles of ACT. Working in conjunction with one-another, these all work towards the goal of being able to handle negative thoughts and experiences making room for psychological flexibility more positivity in our outlook.
The principles are:
- Defusion
- Acceptance
- Contact with the present moment
- The Observing Self
- Values
- Committed action
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has been used to treat a range of different disorders including depression, anxiety, stress within the workplace, obsessive-compulsive disorder and social anxiety disorder.
Here at Counselling Psychology Online, we are trained counsellors in ACT with many years experience. We are a group of therapists scattered throughout the UK in Surrey, Kent, Somerset and Stoke, and service clients throughout the UK online.
Do you have questions?
It's not unusual to have questions about what type(s) of therapy may be suitable for you.
We're here to help. Please don't hesitate to get in touch so we can discuss what might help you.
Types of Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)
- Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)
- Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Enhanced Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT-E)
- Person-Centred Therapy (PCT)
- Internal Family Systems (IFS)
- Psychosynthesis Therapy
- Transactional Analysis Therapy (TA)
- Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)
- Mentalization Based Therapy (MBT)
- Structural Clinical Management (SCM)
FAQs
Here at Counselling Psychology Online, we get asked a lot of questions about ACT. To clear some of these up, we thought that we would answer some of these below. For any other queries or to enquire about beginning your Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, please do not hesitate to contact us by email [email protected].
What is ACT an abbreviation of?
ACT stands for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. It is a mindfulness-based behavioural therapy which invites people to open themselves up to negative feelings, accepting that as humans, we will be faced with unpleasant thoughts.
How many sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy will I need?
Conditions and disorders are unique and so there is no set number of sessions of ACT that we would recommend. At Counselling Psychology Online, we will arrange an initial assessment session where we will consider if ACT may be a helpful approach for you. From here, we can give you an idea about how many sessions may be needed.
How long are online ACT counselling sessions with you?
We tend to offer 50 minute sessions for our Acceptance and Commitment Therapy – however this can vary from case to case.
How do I start my Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?
The first thing to do is to contact us by emailing [email protected].
Do I need anything for my online therapy?
All you require is a device which has a video app (such as zoom or skype) and connects you to the internet. Other than that, we would recommend all of your counselling sessions take place in a quiet, safe space.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with Counselling Psychology Online
We have a wealth of experience tailoring acceptance and commitment therapy online with adults, children, adolescents, couples and families. For answers to some of our most commonly asked questions, please visit our FAQ page.
To begin your therapy or for any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.
