The Science Behind ACT: Why it is an Effective Treatment for Mental Health

The Science Behind ACT: Why it is an Effective Treatment for Mental Health

The Science Behind ACT: Why it is an Effective Treatment for Mental Health

Acceptance and Commitment therapy (ACT) is a mindfulness-based behavioural therapy that has been effective in treating a diverse range of psychological conditions.  While more traditional forms of psychological treatment focus on symptom reduction, the goal of ACT is to help you create a rich and meaningful life while accepting the pain and difficulty that goes with it.  Using your deepest values as a guide, you learn how to take action towards creating a rich and meaningful life while learning effective ways to handle unpleasant feelings and experiences with skills based in mindfulness, acceptance, and committed action.

Life is difficult and anxiety, negative thoughts, and other unpleasant emotions are a natural reaction to difficult experiences.  At some point in our lives, we will encounter unpleasant thoughts and feelings.  However, it is not the experience of unpleasant thoughts and feelings but the struggle with those thoughts and feelings that leads to suffering according to ACT.  This struggle is described as experiential avoidance.  As a third-wave Cognitive-behavioural treatment, ACT encourages building awareness of thoughts, feelings and behaviours through mindfulness.  As individuals become aware of their thoughts and feelings and learn to notice them without judgement, they are able to learn to adapt to difficult situations with psychological flexibility.  

During treatment, ACT focuses on six core processes:

  1. Acceptance – If you’ve ever tried to change or ignore how you feel, you might notice this actually makes things worse.  Acceptance focuses on embracing the full range of emotions rather than denying, ignoring, or avoiding them.
  2. Cognitive Diffusion – Negative thoughts can influence our feelings and behaviours more than we would like them to.  Cognitive diffusion is learning how to relate differently to your negative thoughts, so they have less influence over you.
  3. Contact with the present moment – When we are distracted by thoughts and feelings, we may miss the richness of the world in front of us.  Present-moment awareness is bringing full awareness to the here-and –now with openness, interest and receptiveness, grounding us in the present moment so we can be fully engaged in our experiences.
  4. Self-as-context – Or thoughts, feelings, sensations, memories, roles and even our physical bodies are often changing.  Noticing that there is a part of us constantly observing these things allows us to separate ourselves from these things and therefore be less threatened by them.  
  5. Values clarification – Taking the time to reflect on what is most important to us in life, what is meaningful, and what type of person we want to be allows us to strengthen our willingness to embrace the unpleasant feelings that arise when we pursue those values.
  6. Committed action – Setting goals guided by your values provides a direction for therapy, helps to measure your progress, and allows you to take control of your own life.

 

Why is ACT effective for mental health treatment?

While other therapies focus on symptom reduction, with ACT you can start to live a rich and meaningful life even while you are experiencing unpleasant feelings.  ACT views symptoms as natural reactions to difficult situations and it is the struggle with these symptoms or reactions that leads to suffering rather than the symptoms themselves.  By learning how to handle difficult thoughts and feelings, you can build resilience and be empowered to face whatever difficulties life brings your way.  If you are experiencing symptoms of anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD and trauma, work stress, or chronic pain, it is possible that you can start to improve your life today.

Evidence-based Success for ACT

Studies have shown that ACT is an effective treatment for:

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • OCD
  • Psychosis
  • Eating disorders
  • Substance use disorders
  • Workplace stress
  • Chronic pain

ACT has been as effective as CBT for a range of mental health problems.  Although CBT offers a more structured approach to therapy that some individuals may benefit from, ACT may have greater long-term effects and has shown more significant improvements in psychological flexibility.  

How therapists at Still Waters Psychology incorporate ACT in Therapy

  1. Personalized approach – During your intake session and in the first few sessions afterwards, your therapist will help you determine short-term and long-term goals for your treatment based on your values.  If you are not sure what your values are, your therapist will engage you in activities and reflections that help you become more aware of what is most important to you.
  2. Safe place – At Still Waters Psychology, it is important you feel connected and comfortable with your therapist.  Our therapists are compassionate and non-judgmental, allowing you to feel safe to share your emotions and experiences.  
  3. Experiential exercises – ACT has developed hundreds of mindfulness-based exercises to help clients improve the core processes of ACT.  Your therapist will engage in these exercises with you during the session and you will be encouraged to practice them at home to determine which exercises will be most effective for you.

 

Is ACT right for you?  Questions to ask before starting therapy

Perhaps you have tried other therapies like CBT, and you have been frustrated with your lack of progress.  Maybe you have never tried therapy before because you are afraid something is wrong with you, or people will think differently of you because you can’t handle things on your own.  Or it could be that you are not sure what the problem is, but you know you don’t feel like you are reaching your full potential.  If this sounds familiar to you, ACT may be able to provide you with the results you are looking for.  We encourage you to book a free consultation with one of our therapists to discuss briefly what difficulties you are experiencing now and how ACT might help you to achieve your goals.  

I am a registered psychologist who has been using ACT to treat anxiety, depression, trauma, and manage life transitions for over 8 years.  I have had the privilege of working with teens, young adults and older adults to help them achieve their goals and experience a rich and meaningful life.  Seeing my clients leave therapy with confidence and resilience to handle the difficulties they will encounter is meaningful and important to me.  It is important to me that our clients feel safe and cared for at Still Waters Psychology and I have chosen therapists who are compassionate, non-judgmental, and who treat our clients with care and respect.  

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