Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based approach that helps you change your relationship with difficult thoughts, emotions, and internal experiences, rather than trying to eliminate or control them.
ACT starts from a simple but powerful idea: pain is part of being human, but suffering increases when we fight our internal experience or organize our lives around avoiding discomfort. Instead of asking, “How do I get rid of this feeling?” ACT asks, “How do I live a meaningful life even when this feeling is here?”
ACT focuses on building psychological flexibility: the ability to stay present, respond intentionally, and move toward what matters, rather than getting pulled into struggle, avoidance, or self-criticism.
What ACT Helps With
ACT is especially helpful when problems aren’t just about “thinking errors,” but about feeling stuck, disconnected, or exhausted by internal battles.
ACT is commonly used to support:
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Anxiety and chronic worry
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Depression or low mood
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Burnout and emotional exhaustion
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Perfectionism and self-criticism
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Trauma-related avoidance or emotional shutdown
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Life transitions and identity shifts
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Chronic stress or uncertainty
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Feeling “stuck” even when you understand why
ACT helps when insight alone hasn’t led to change and when pushing harder hasn’t worked.
Common Misunderstandings About ACT
ACT is not about “accepting things you shouldn’t.”
Acceptance doesn’t mean approval, resignation, or giving up. It means making room for internal experiences so they stop running your life.
ACT doesn’t tell you to stop trying to feel better.
It helps you stop organizing your life around not feeling bad, which often creates more suffering over time.
ACT is not passive or vague.
It’s deeply practical and action-oriented, grounded in values and real-world choices.
What ACT Looks Like in Practice
In ACT-informed therapy, we might:
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Notice patterns of avoidance, overcontrol, or internal struggle
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Practice relating differently to anxious or self-critical thoughts
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Build awareness of what pulls you away from the present moment
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Clarify values: what actually matters to you, not what you “should” care about
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Take small, meaningful actions that align with those values
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Learn skills to stay grounded during uncertainty or emotional discomfort
ACT isn’t about forcing change, it’s about creating room for change to happen.
When ACT is Especially helpful
ACT can be a powerful approach when:
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You feel stuck despite understanding your patterns
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Anxiety or self-criticism dominates your inner world
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You’re exhausted from trying to control your thoughts or emotions
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You feel disconnected from meaning, purpose, or direction
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Life circumstances can’t easily be “fixed,” but you want to suffer less
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You want change that feels values-driven rather than fear-driven
ACT is often especially helpful during life transitions, burnout, and periods of uncertainty.
Mindful Self Compassion (MSC) as Part of ACT Informed Work
I often integrate principles of Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) into ACT-informed therapy.
Self-compassion isn’t about letting yourself “off the hook.” It’s about learning to respond to difficulty with the same steadiness, kindness, and honesty you might offer someone you care about.
MSC supports:
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Reducing shame and harsh self-judgment
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Increasing emotional resilience
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Supporting nervous system regulation
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Making difficult experiences more tolerable
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Creating a safer internal environment for change
For many high-achieving or trauma-exposed adults, self-compassion is not intuitive- it’s a skill that can be learned and practiced in ways that feel grounded and authentic, not forced.
How I Integrate ACT Into My Broader Approach
I use ACT as part of an integrative, trauma-informed, nervous-system-aware approach. ACT works best when your system has enough capacity to stay present with internal experience without becoming overwhelmed.
When needed, ACT is paired with:
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Somatic and nervous system regulation to support safety and grounding
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CBT tools when thought patterns are driving distress
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Parts-informed work (IFS-informed) to reduce internal conflict
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Skills-based support for emotional regulation and distress tolerance
ACT is not used rigidly or in isolation. We choose tools collaboratively, based on what supports movement toward your goals with the least amount of struggle.
Who ACT Is (and Isn't) A Good Fit For
ACT may be a good fit if you’re open to:
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Exploring your inner experience without trying to control it
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Clarifying what matters beyond symptom reduction
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Taking small, values-aligned steps even when things feel uncomfortable
It may be less helpful as a starting point if your nervous system feels too dysregulated to stay present. In those cases, we focus first on regulation and stabilization so ACT skills can land in a supportive way.
Curious About Using an Integrative Approach that Incorporates ACT?
If you’re interested in ACT, mindful self-compassion, or an integrative approach that focuses on meaning and nervous system capacity, not just symptom control, the next step is a free 15-minute consultation. We can talk through what you’re navigating and see whether this approach feels like a good fit.
