Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a form of psychotherapy that helps people develop psychological flexibility. The main goal of ACT is to teach individuals to accept what they cannot change while committing to actions that align with their values, despite uncomfortable emotions, thoughts, or situations. Instead of trying to eliminate negative thoughts and feelings, ACT encourages people to accept them as part of the human experience without letting them dictate their actions.
The six core principles of ACT:
Acceptance: This involves actively allowing unpleasant thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations without trying to avoid or suppress them. The idea is that pain and discomfort are normal parts of life.
Cognitive defusion: This technique helps you create distance from your thoughts, allowing you to see them as just words and images rather than absolute truths. This helps prevent automatic reactions to negative or limiting thoughts.
Mindfulness (contact with the present moment): This is about being fully present in the current moment with an open and curious attitude, without judging what you experience. It helps you become aware of your thoughts and feelings without getting caught up in them.
Self as context: In ACT, you learn to see yourself as a flexible, observing awareness that is separate from your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. This helps you avoid identifying fully with negative self-images or emotions.
Values: ACT encourages you to clarify what truly matters to you in life, your core values. These are the things you care about and want to pursue, such as love, creativity, honesty, or family.
Committed action: Based on your values, you take steps toward living a meaningful life, even when faced with difficult emotions or obstacles. ACT emphasizes purposeful action, regardless of how you feel.
In ACT, the focus is not on symptom reduction but on finding ways to better cope with difficulties, so you can lead a more fulfilling and value-driven life. It combines acceptance with action, emphasizing the importance of developing a flexible and resilient attitude toward whatever you experience.
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