ACT is a 'third generation' cognitive behavioural therapy which empowers us to live the life that is important to us. It is an acceptance and mindfulness based therapy. ACT can help us to notice and diminish the function of of our unhelpful avoidant behaviours which occur in response to uncomfortable internal phenomena (thoughts, feelings, memories and bodily sensations), such as 'comfort eating' in response to uncomfortable feelings, thoughts or memories. In doing so it assists us to practice compassion for self and others and adopt values-consistent actions (the things that give meaning and purpose to our lives).
Some elements of ACT are similar to Mindfulness Based cognitive Behavioural Therapy (MBCBT) in that they both view avoidance of affect and lack of present moment awareness as behaviours that prevent us from living the life that we want.
Developed within a coherent theoretical and philosophical framework, ACT is a unique empirically based psychological intervention that uses acceptance and mindfulness strategies, together with commitment and behaviour change strategies, to increase psychological flexibility. Psychological flexibility means contacting the present moment fully as a conscious human being, and based on what the situation affords, changing or persisting in behaviour in the service of our chosen values.
As previuosly mentioned ACT is based on Relational Frame Theory, ACT illuminates the ways that language entangles us into futile attempts to wage war against own inner lives. Through metaphor, paradox, and experiential exercises we can learn in therapy how to make healthy contact with thoughts, feelings, memories, and physical sensations that we have previously feared and avoided. In this way we can gain the skills to recontextualize and accept these private events, develop greater clarity about our personal values, and commit to the necessary behaviour change to live the life that we want.
ACT has been shown to be an extremely effective treatment for both complex and less complex cases: