Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is based on two premises: accepting what is outside of our control, and committing to actions that can improve and enrich our lives. We cannot control everything that happens to us, or our thoughts and feelings about the events, and this is no bad thing as allowing ourselves to experience a wide range of emotions is what makes us human.

 

The 'Acceptance' part of ACT involves learning how to deal with distressing thoughts and feelings so that they have less power over us, in part using mindfulness techniques which teach us how to embrace our thoughts, feelings and sensations without judging them, a challenge for many of us given the fast-paced rhythm of life that we're used to.

 

The 'Commitment' part of ACT involves exploring what matters to us and clarifying what our values are, that is what is truly important and meaningful to us at an individual level, and then using this knowledge to inspire us to make and stick to goals that can change our lives for the better.