What is ACT Therapy?
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (often called ACT therapy) is part of the same family of approaches as CBT and DBT, but with its own unique twist. At Ember Light Counseling, we use ACT to help clients manage anxiety, stress, and even the challenges of chronic illness.
At its heart, ACT isn’t about pushing away uncomfortable thoughts or feelings. Instead, it’s about learning to be more flexible. Learning to live in alignment with your values, even when life gets messy. This skill is called psychological flexibility, and it can change the way you relate to your experiences in powerful ways.
The Core of ACT: Psychological Flexibility
So what does psychological flexibility really mean? Think of it as the ability to stay true to yourself, to your values, your priorities, and the kind of life you want even when anxiety, stress, or painful emotions show up. Instead of getting stuck in struggle, ACT helps you gently shift how you respond.
Three Pillars That Make Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Work
ACT therapy builds flexibility through three key areas:
- Staying Present: Learning mindfulness skills so you can anchor yourself in the here and now. This helps keep your thoughts from spiraling and allows you to notice feelings without being swept away by them.
- Staying Open: Instead of shutting down when thoughts and emotions get heavy, ACT encourages you to open up with compassion. By practicing acceptance, you reduce the extra pain that comes from resisting what’s already here.
Doing What Matters: This is where values come in. ACT therapy helps you identify what truly matters to you (your family, your health, your creativity) and take meaningful steps toward those priorities, even when life feels uncertain.
Facing Life’s Challenges with ACT
Life is full of uncontrollable challenges. Many people seek acceptance and commitment therapy for anxiety or chronic stress when they feel stuck fighting their own thoughts and feelings. ACT offers a way out of that struggle.
Instead of trying to eliminate anxiety or erase pain (which isn’t always possible), you learn how to change your relationship with those difficult experiences. For example, if you’re living with a chronic illness or enduring a stressful situation, ACT can help you stop pouring energy into resisting the reality of it. You learn to accept what you cannot change, and then put your energy into what ACT therapy is really about: taking meaningful action guided by your values. This shift can bring relief, reduce the power of anxiety over your life, and help you focus on living a fulfilling life even with challenges present.
Is ACT Right for You?
Let’s take the first step…
If you’ve ever felt stuck in worry or overwhelmed by emotions, acceptance and commitment therapy may be the supportive approach you need. At Ember Light Counseling we offer a warm, supportive environment to explore ACT therapy and how it can help you align your actions with your values.
We invite you to schedule a free 15-minute consultation with us! It’s a safe space to talk about what you’re going through and see if ACT therapy feels like the right fit.