ACT Therapy Explained: How Acceptance and Action Can Create a Life Aligned with Your Values
How Does ACT Therapy Work? A Grounded Approach to Healing and Growth
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) offers a distinct and powerful approach to psychotherapy, one that focuses on fostering psychological flexibility. Rather than aiming to eliminate negative thoughts or emotions, ACT encourages individuals to accept their internal experiences—such as thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations—while still pursuing actions that align with their values. For those looking to build resilience, reduce unnecessary suffering, and lead a more meaningful life, ACT offers a transformative path.
In this post, we’ll explore how ACT therapy works and illustrate the process with an example of what a typical ACT therapy session can look like. Through the experiences of a client named Clair, we’ll show how ACT helps individuals navigate their internal struggles while moving toward a life of purpose and fulfillment.
What is ACT Therapy?
ACT operates on the premise that struggling with difficult emotions, thoughts, and memories is a natural part of being human. The more we resist these internal experiences, the more we become entangled in cycles of avoidance, frustration, and distress. ACT offers an alternative approach—teaching individuals to accept these experiences, cultivate mindfulness, and take deliberate actions toward what matters most in their lives.
ACT therapy is grounded in six core principles:
Cognitive Defusion: Learning to observe thoughts without becoming entangled in them, recognizing that thoughts are not truths, but transient mental events.
Acceptance: Allowing uncomfortable emotions and experiences to exist without trying to suppress or avoid them.
Present Moment Awareness: Practicing mindfulness to ground oneself in the present rather than getting lost in past regrets or future worries.
Self-as-Context: Seeing oneself as the observer of thoughts and feelings, which provides a broader perspective.
Values Clarification: Identifying what truly matters in life and using those values as a guide for behavior and decision-making.
Committed Action: Taking actionable steps toward a life that aligns with one’s values, even when faced with discomfort or fear.
ACT is particularly effective for people managing anxiety, depression, stress, and a wide range of emotional challenges. It emphasizes living authentically and pursuing meaningful actions, even in the face of internal obstacles.
How Does ACT Therapy Work?
ACT works by helping clients cultivate psychological flexibility through several interrelated strategies:
Mindfulness: Clients are encouraged to become aware of their thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations with curiosity, without judgment. This practice helps individuals develop an acute awareness of their internal experiences in real time.
Cognitive Defusion: Instead of allowing unhelpful or negative thoughts to control behavior, ACT teaches clients to detach from these thoughts and view them as transient, rather than as truths that must dictate their actions.
Acceptance: ACT encourages clients to make space for difficult emotions and thoughts, recognizing that pain and discomfort are part of life but that they don’t need to dictate behavior.
Values Exploration: ACT helps individuals clarify their core values—the principles that truly matter to them—and use them as a compass to guide their decisions and actions.
Committed Action: Once clients have identified their values, ACT encourages them to take consistent steps toward living a life aligned with those values, even if it feels challenging or uncomfortable at times.
ACT sessions are typically collaborative and experiential, with the therapist and client working together to explore thoughts and behaviors while developing concrete tools for coping and progressing toward meaningful goals.
An Example of What ACT Therapy Can Look Like in Session
Let’s take a closer look at how ACT might unfold in practice with a client named Clair, a 34-year-old professional grappling with anxiety and self-doubt. Clair feels caught in a cycle of overthinking, constantly worrying about her job performance, and wondering whether she’s living up to expectations—her own and others’. Lately, these thoughts have become more persistent, interfering with her ability to enjoy social situations or engage in personal activities. Clair decides to begin therapy in the hopes of managing her anxiety and learning how to live more authentically.
Setting the Stage: Clarifying Values and Opening the Conversation
When Clair begins working with Anne, her therapist, they spend the first part of their sessions focusing on Clair’s core values. Clair shares that she feels overwhelmed by a constant mental “to-do list,” dominated by thoughts of what she “should” be doing, both at work and in her personal life. These thoughts leave her feeling as if she’s perpetually falling short, despite working hard and being present for others.
Anne listens attentively, acknowledging how difficult it can be to live under the weight of these expectations. “It seems like you’re constantly striving to meet an ideal that’s always shifting,” Anne observes. “In ACT, we focus on what really matters to you—your values—and use them to guide your actions, even in the face of discomfort.”
Anne introduces the concept of present moment awareness, inviting Clair to take a step back from her mental checklist and notice how she’s feeling in the present. During their conversation, Clair becomes aware of a recurring thought: “I’m not doing enough.” Anne gently guides Clair to reflect on this thought and its impact on her emotions.
“It sounds like this thought is creating a lot of pressure for you,” Anne says. “But what if, instead of trying to avoid it or change it, we could just observe it for what it is—just a thought?”
Clair reflects on this idea. “I guess I’ve never really thought about it that way,” she admits. “It feels like this thought is controlling me. When I think it, I immediately feel anxious and like I need to work harder to fix it.”
Introducing Cognitive Defusion and Acceptance
As Clair continues to work with Anne, they delve deeper into cognitive defusion—the process of distancing oneself from thoughts. Anne helps Clair see that thoughts are not inherently true or false, but simply mental events that come and go.
Anne asks Clair to try an exercise: “Let’s say that thought—‘I’m not doing enough’—is just a sentence in your mind. How does it feel if you say it aloud in a different tone or a silly voice?”
Clair plays along, repeating the thought in an exaggerated, cartoonish voice. She immediately laughs. “It sounds ridiculous! I can see now that it’s just a thought. It doesn’t have to control me.”
Anne validates Clair’s insight. “Exactly. Cognitive defusion is about noticing the thought, but not letting it dictate how you feel or what you do. You don’t need to fight against it, just let it be there without giving it power over you.”
From there, Anne shifts the conversation toward acceptance. Rather than trying to avoid the discomfort that comes with anxiety or self-doubt, Anne encourages Clair to make space for those emotions. “It’s natural to experience these feelings, Clair. But what if, instead of running from them, you allowed yourself to feel them without judgment?”
Clair considers this. “I guess I’ve always tried to push these feelings away, hoping they’ll go away. But that doesn’t seem to help. Maybe if I just allowed myself to feel the discomfort without trying to control it, it wouldn’t be so overwhelming.”
Exploring Values and Committed Action
As Clair continues her work in therapy, Anne helps her clarify what truly matters to her beyond the constant mental noise and pressures she faces. In ACT, identifying core values is one of the most important elements of the therapeutic process. Clair’s experience with anxiety has often led her to feel disconnected from her passions and her authentic self. Instead of living in alignment with what is truly important, she has become mired in the cycle of self-doubt and the fear of falling short.
“Let’s take a step back,” Anne begins, guiding Clair into a more reflective state. “If you strip away all the expectations—both the ones you place on yourself and those you perceive from others—what remains? What do you really care about? What would make you feel that your life is meaningful?”
Clair pauses, clearly deep in thought. “I think I’ve always wanted to be creative,” she begins, her voice soft. “I’ve had a passion for painting for as long as I can remember. But I don’t know… it feels like there’s never enough time for that anymore. And when I do sit down to paint, I’m overwhelmed by the thought that it’s not good enough, or that I should be doing something more productive.”
Anne gently guides Clair to continue exploring. “It sounds like creativity is really important to you. What else might you want to prioritize in your life?”
Clair’s eyes light up as she reflects. “Connection. I want to be more present with my friends, my family. But I find myself withdrawing sometimes, especially when I’m feeling anxious or when I’m worried about not doing enough in other areas of my life.”
Anne listens attentively, offering a validating presence. “You’re identifying some really powerful values here, Clair—creativity and connection. These are things that matter to you deeply. What would it look like if you were able to make time for these values, even when the anxiety shows up?”
Clair is quiet for a moment, as though she’s considering how her life could change by shifting her focus. “I think I’d feel more balanced,” she says slowly. “Like I’d have more energy. But it’s hard to imagine making those things a priority when I feel so overwhelmed by everything else.”
Anne nods. “That’s completely understandable. But the beauty of ACT is that we can take small steps to align your actions with these values. It’s about committing to what’s truly important to you, even in the face of discomfort.”
At this point, Anne introduces Clair to a more structured values clarification process. Values clarification in ACT is not about defining a rigid set of goals or aspirations, but rather about identifying broad principles that guide one’s life. These are the aspects of life that bring a sense of fulfillment and meaning, regardless of external circumstances or challenges. In Clair’s case, creativity and connection are both deeply aligned with her sense of self.
“Let’s look at how you can start integrating these values into your daily life,” Anne suggests. “What is one small, manageable step you could take toward fostering creativity, even if it’s just for a short time?”
Clair thinks for a moment and then responds with resolve: “I could start by setting aside 30 minutes every weekend to paint. I don’t need to make it perfect—I just need to start creating again.”
Anne smiles. “That sounds like a wonderful first step. And what about connection? What might be a manageable way to connect more with the people you care about?”
Clair reflects again, this time more thoughtfully. “Maybe I could reach out to a friend once a week, even if it’s just for a coffee or a phone call. It doesn’t have to be a long, perfect conversation. Just something simple.”
Anne affirms Clair’s insights. “Both of these steps—making time for creativity and reaching out for connection—are deeply aligned with your values. And remember, it’s not about doing them perfectly or getting them right. It’s about committing to these values, even if it feels uncomfortable at first. Anxiety and self-doubt may show up, but the goal is to keep moving forward, in alignment with what matters most to you.”
Conclusion: The Transformative Power of ACT Therapy
Through her work with Anne, Clair gains profound insight into how her thoughts, emotions, and values shape her experience of the world. Instead of trying to eliminate or suppress her anxiety, Clair learns to engage with it in a healthy way—allowing her feelings to be present without letting them dictate her actions. The focus shifts from trying to control her internal experience to taking purposeful actions that are grounded in her core values.
ACT therapy offers a powerful framework for change, helping individuals navigate difficult emotions while still moving toward a life that is meaningful and fulfilling. By learning to live in alignment with their values, clients like Clair can break free from the cycles of self-doubt and anxiety that often hold them back. Rather than living reactively, they begin to live intentionally—choosing actions that reflect what truly matters to them, even in the face of discomfort.
If you’re struggling with anxiety, depression, or simply seeking to live a life aligned with your values, ACT can be a transformative tool. At our group therapy practice, we specialize in helping individuals explore their values, develop psychological flexibility, and take committed action toward the life they want to create. We’re here to guide you through your own journey of healing and growth, helping you build a life that reflects who you truly are.
