What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?

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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people become more psychologically adaptable. ACT encourages you to be more fully in the present. Accepting your deep emotions, traumas, or negative coping mechanisms is key in this therapeutic approach.

ACT maintains that to adapt and grow, a person must fully accept themselves as they are. Therapists practicing ACT believe that suppressing or ignoring painful emotions or experiences is counter-productive to growth and change.

You must investigate your current patterns of thinking to change. After examining these patterns, you can better understand the way your thinking impacts you. This acceptance of your patterns and habits helps you change your behaviors.

Trying to stop ways of thinking can be detrimental to ACT. Your therapist will help you understand how and why you think a certain way. Your ACT therapist will encourage you to accept yourself within a given moment. This acceptance is ultimately the catalyst for change.

After fostering the acceptance of the present moment, with all its thoughts, beliefs, and experiences, your ACT therapist will encourage you to develop a new, more compassionate relationship with your experience.

Individuals experiencing a wide range of psychological issues can benefit from ACT because it emphasizes their unique relationship with their problems.

Therapists Who Specialize in Using ACT

Whitney Wilson

Kansas City

Missouri

My approach is grounded in meeting folks where they are in the moment, and not asking them to feel, look, or act like someone they’re not. I believe that every person has worth and value because of their identity, and I love helping other people tap into their worth. I believe that all humans have the innate capacity to not only overcome difficult experiences, but to heal and thrive, and when w...
Waitlist only-thank you! I now accept State Health Plan, too. I feel so honored to work with college students, young adults and adults as they navigate change and challenge. Many of us struggle with feeling unsatisfied, undersupported, or at our edge. This could be due to trauma, depression, anxiety, or caring so much for others that we don’t have much in reserve for ourselves. This does not ha...

Lauren Suarez

Miami

Florida

I aim to create a space where you can feel empowered to grow through adversity. I am a licensed psychologist with a client-centered, culturally aware, and trauma-informed approach. In sessions, we will explore ways to make meaning of difficult circumstances and overcome barriers to a fulfilling life. I have worked extensively with survivors of trauma, including childhood abuse, military combat,...
Feeling overwhelmed and out of control? Is it difficult for you to stay focused on any one thing? Maybe you catch yourself "zoning out" throughout your day. Are you generally anxious and sometimes feel unexplained guilt or shame? Do you tend to overreact or fall into patterns of self-blame? These are all subtle manifestations of trauma and can interfere significantly with your day to day life....

Morgan Lankford

Wilmington

North Carolina

Sometimes life’s burdens can seem too heavy; daily stresses too overpowering. Everyone needs a little guidance from time to time from someone who can help us see and use the deep reserves of the strength that lies within us. Recognizing a problem is the first step towards finding a solution. To seek help for the problem is a sign of courage, not weakness. The goal of therapy is to empower you a...

Caitlin Goddard

Boulder

Colorado

I work with young adults and teens who are looking for the opportunity to grow and find relief. With me, I'm confident you'll find that therapy can feel both difficult and safe. You'll find it can bring about relief while providing an opportunity for growth. I offer an inherently empathic, person-centered approach and utilize humanistic theory to inform my understanding of human psychology....
Dr. Tatyana Cottle is a Licensed Professional Counselor with extensive experience working with children, adolescents, individual adults, families, and couples with a variety of cultural backgrounds and who are struggling with mental health issues. She specializes in working with individuals who are going through life transitions, are survivors of trauma and/or abuse, or who are experiencing...
Welcome. Are you seeking a professional, compassionate, and safe therapeutic environment during this difficult season? I specialize in working with children/adults struggling with ADHD, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, anger management, low-self-esteem, relationship issues, stress management, trauma, and grief. I utilize various therapeutic interventions in order to assist individuals wi...

Elyse Tullar

Spokane

Washington

You cannot recover from anxiety by just remaining calm, or depression by just being positive. Recovery from the battles of life takes time, patience, and releasing old habits. Whether you’re facing mental illness, parenting, relationships, or life transitions; change must occur in order for peace to resurface. It's okay to feel unstable, it's ok for things to not be ok, and it's okay to ask for...

Courtney Pflieger

Salt Lake City

Utah

I am a licensed psychologist at the Utah Center for Evidence Based Treatment (UCEBT) with training in assessment and treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders. I enjoy working with neurodivergents (ADHD, Autism, TBI, etc.) and cooccurring conditions/trauma to address their concerns with treatments supported in the research. I also work to collaborate with families and school teams where...

Jonathan Lam

New York

New York

Life can present with many challenges, involving navigating personal and interpersonal issues, managing goals, or simply trying to make sense of the world. As a clinical psychologist extensively trained in psychotherapy with adults, I work with individuals struggling with these issues. I have a passion for working with marginalized and underserved populations, in particular ethnic and sexual...
**AS OF 10/1/2020, I'M NOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS.** I want you to know first and foremost that developing a real and genuine relationship with you is what I find to be foundational in the process of change. Finding someone with whom we can push our comfort zone such that we give ourselves the opportunity to grow is imperative, and is who I strive to be for each person with whom I work...
My ideal client is someone who has difficulty making sense of their emotions but has a willingness to learn about them. I love working with people during the "transitional" phases (ie. going to high school, college, getting married, losing a loved one, having a baby, etc.). I fancy helping others "make meaning" of their lives in transition. I also enjoy working with people who have experienced...
I enjoy working collaboratively with individuals who feel stuck in a particular place. Often these times are during a transition phase of life coupled with some grieving for a particular phase of life being left behind. I have a natural curiosity for why people do the things they do and this helps me to be inquisitive yet not judgemental regarding a person's behavior. I have a strong faith base...
"CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS AND YOU CHANGE YOUR WORLD" – NORMAN VINCENT PEALE - Willing to seek answers is one of the first steps in healing the soul. The most resilient individuals have traveled through the Darkness. Knowing your strengths will help you explore options for change. I have witnessed firsthand what mental illness can do to an individual and the family. The power of positive thinking,...