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.
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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?”
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy FAQ
(Frequently Asked Questions)
What states do you provide Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in?
As a licensed clinical psychologist and PSYPACT-authorized provider, I offer online therapy incorporating Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to eligible clients located in PSYPACT-participating states, including Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, and Virginia, among others.
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You must be physically located in a participating PSYPACT state at the time of your session. If you’re unsure whether I can work with you, feel free to reach out or check the current PSYPACT list.
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What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)?
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based approach that helps you change how you relate to difficult thoughts, emotions, and internal experiences. Instead of trying to eliminate discomfort or control every thought, ACT focuses on building psychological flexibility, the ability to stay present, respond more intentionally, and take meaningful action even when difficult thoughts or feelings show up.
The goal isn’t to feel good all the time. It’s to help you spend less energy struggling with your internal experience and more energy building a life that reflects what matters to you.
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How is ACT different from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and other forms of therapy?
ACT and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) are related evidence-based approaches, but they often work with thoughts differently. Traditional CBT may involve examining and reframing unhelpful thought patterns, while ACT often focuses less on whether a thought is “true” and more on how you relate to it and whether responding to it in a particular way is helping you live the life you want.
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ACT also places a strong emphasis on acceptance, mindfulness, values, and committed action. In my practice, I often integrate ACT with CBT and other approaches rather than treating them as mutually exclusive.
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Who can benefit from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?
ACT can be helpful for people who feel stuck despite having a lot of insight, exhausted by anxiety or self-criticism, burned out, caught in perfectionism or overthinking, or disconnected from a sense of meaning or direction.
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It can also be particularly useful during life transitions or periods of uncertainty, when there may not be a perfect answer and trying harder to control uncomfortable thoughts or feelings hasn’t helped.
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Can ACT help with anxiety and overthinking?
Yes. ACT can be particularly helpful when anxiety leads to overthinking, avoidance, reassurance-seeking, or attempts to gain certainty before taking action.
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Rather than trying to eliminate anxious thoughts, ACT helps you notice them without automatically treating them as instructions or problems that must be solved. Over time, this can help you respond more flexibly to anxiety and make choices based on your values rather than fear or discomfort.
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What does ACT look like in therapy sessions?
ACT-informed therapy may involve noticing patterns of avoidance or overcontrol, learning to step back from anxious or self-critical thoughts, making room for difficult emotions, clarifying what matters to you, and practicing small actions aligned with those values.
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ACT can be practical and experiential, so we may do more than simply talk about a pattern. Sessions are collaborative and individualized based on your goals, needs, and capacity.
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Do you incorporate Mindful Self-Compassion into ACT therapy?
Yes. I often integrate principles and practices from Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) into ACT-informed therapy, particularly when shame, perfectionism, or harsh self-criticism are part of what keeps you stuck.
Self-compassion isn’t about making excuses, lowering your standards, or forcing yourself to feel positive. We approach it as a skill that can help you respond to difficulty with less self-judgment and greater flexibility.
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Do you offer Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) online?
Yes. I offer ACT-informed therapy through secure, HIPAA-compliant telehealth. ACT translates well to online therapy because many of its strategies involve reflection, mindfulness, experiential exercises, values clarification, and practicing new ways of responding to thoughts and emotions in everyday life.
Online therapy also allows you to participate from your own private space without the additional time and stress of commuting.