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

None of us becomes who we are in isolation. We'll work together in a safe and collaborative environment to set and follow the trajectory toward your own definition of success. I have experience with anxiety, depression, chronic illness, and trauma. A specialty of my practice is working with transgender and gender nonconforming individuals and their families.

Henrietta Okpala, PMHNP-BC

New York

New York

Prospective clients considering collaborating with me should understand that my approach is rooted in empathy, selflessness, and attentive listening. I prioritize creating a non-judgmental space where individuals feel heard, understood, and supported. My commitment to holistic care encompasses addressing emotional, mental, and relational aspects of well-being. Through genuine empathy and a clie...

Ebony Harrison, LPC

Charlottesville

Virginia

Life can be isolating and difficult at times. That simple understanding is what continues to motivate me to be a therapist as it allows me to support others in a nonjudgmental and helpful space.
My approach to counseling focuses on the individual’s unique needs and goals. Every person has the capacity for growth and change. I aim to provide a supportive, safe, non-judgmental space to explore your thoughts and feelings, learn new skills, and better understand yourself and your situation. My counseling services are confidential, compassionate, and empowering. She believes in treating eve...