11 Aug What is ACT therapy?
BY DR. KELLY BALK, LCP, PsyD
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a therapeutic approach focused on practicing mindfulness, building acceptance of uncomfortable experiences/emotions, and engaging in actions which are aligned with your values. This treatment approach has been empirically supported and shown to be beneficial for those who are experiencing anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and other mental health issues.
Lets break down a few key components of ACT (mindfulness, values-clarification and committed action, and de-fusion) a bit more.
Mindfulness means becoming aware of and paying attention to the present moment fully, without judging your experience as either good or bad. ACT therapists incorporate mindfulness activities into sessions to help you practice shifting your attention onto present moment-experiences, versus getting lost in thoughts focused on the past or future. Mindfulness helps us become more present in day to day experiences and helps us become more purposeful in our actions.
Another important aspect of ACT is values clarification: discovering what it is that is truly important to you and subsequently identifying actions that can help you move towards a way of being that is aligned with these values. Once we’ve identified the values that you want to move towards, we can work together to help you re-engage with committed action – taking purposeful action towards these values.
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ACT includes shifting the way that we react to and engage with our thoughts. We experience millions of thoughts throughout each day. Some of the thoughts we let come and go (ex. “Ooo I like that car….I hope I get out of class early today”) and others we find ourselves holding on to, leading to a string of unhelpful thoughts (ex. “I can’t believe I just said that, my boss is going to think I’m a moron, why am I always screwing up, I knew I couldn’t do this”). ACT works to help us understand what messages we are holding on to (those messages we feel “fused” with), and focuses on de-fusing or disconnecting from these thoughts using various tactics that you will learn and practice within session. When we learn to hold our thoughts lightly, we learn to be more present in our day-to-day actions and find that we are more able to engage in activities that are important to us.
Let ACT help you become more present in your life, your relationships, and live a life that is aligned with what is important to YOU. Call Wellsprings today to schedule an appointment with an ACT-informed therapist.
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Dr. Kelly Balk is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who works with clients in individual therapy and specializes in working with adults and young adults experiencing eating disorders, anxiety, depression, stressful life transitions, and identity development. Dr. Balk believes in a collaborative, compassionate, and nonjudgmental approach to therapy and utilizes ACT techniques in her integrative work with clients. If you are interested in scheduling an appointment with Dr. Balk, please call Wellsprings at 312-573-0900.