ACT Therapy
ACT – Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
ACT can be read as a single word, meaning “act,” although it is actually an acronym for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. In Polish, this is translated as terapia akceptacji i zaangażowania. It is one of the most popular methods of psychotherapy and psychological training, belonging to the so-called third wave of behavioral therapy. ACT focuses on accepting what cannot be controlled and committing to actions aligned with one’s values. It helps develop psychological flexibility, cope with life’s difficulties, and focus attention on what truly matters.


The creators of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy believe that human suffering often originates in thoughts and, consequently, in behaviors. From the perspective of ACT, human suffering is viewed as a result of normal psychological processes.
During ACT therapy, behaviors and thoughts that arise in the client’s mind are analyzed, and efforts are made to help the client understand that by changing their behavior, their well-being will gradually improve over time.
Key Processes in the ACT Model
This is the process of separating oneself from thoughts and feelings, treating them as objects rather than facts. This allows individuals to view their thoughts from a distance and prevent them from controlling their actions.
In ACT, emphasis is placed on accepting one’s thoughts and feelings, even if they are difficult or painful. Acceptance does not mean submission; rather, it involves stopping the struggle against the inevitable and focusing on constructive action.
ACT develops the ability to be present in the current moment. It teaches techniques such as mindfulness meditation, which help increase awareness of one’s thoughts, feelings, and surroundings.
CT encourages individuals to clarify and commit to their personal values. This involves identifying what truly matters to them and taking actions that align with those values, fostering a sense of purpose and direction in life.
A key aspect of ACT is taking action that aligns with one’s personal values, despite potential difficulties or uncertainties. It involves actively engaging in life and taking risks to achieve meaningful goals.
The opposite of psychological flexibility is its absence, manifested through rigid dominance of automatic psychological reactions without considering changing conditions, context, or chosen values. This often occurs when individuals are fused with evaluating and describing thoughts, attempting to avoid unwanted experiences, thereby losing contact with the here and now.
Transdiagnostic Approach in ACT
A key feature of the psychological flexibility model is its transdiagnostic nature. This means that the same categories can be used to describe any psychological problem within it.
In contrast, cognitive-behavioral therapy emphasizes learning multiple models of psychological problems associated with specific diagnostic categories according to the DSM/ICD (separate models for social anxiety, separate for obsessive-compulsive disorder, etc.).
In ACT, unless compelled by external circumstances such as hospital work, insurance requirements, or conducting research funded under narrowly defined conditions, therapists can forego DSM/ICD diagnoses and apply the same model of understanding suffering and human development to work with a broad range of individuals presenting overlapping symptoms from various diagnoses.
The diagnostic labeling itself has created a new problem. Most clients do not read diagnostic manuals and are unaware that for diagnostic convenience, clinicians should have one specific syndrome fitting one model, such as only social anxiety or just depression. Conversely, co-occurrence of several different diagnoses is more often the rule than the exception, and a strictly defined diagnosis rarely affects the therapy process itself.
In contrast to symptomatic DSM and ICD approaches, ACT case conceptualization focuses on transdiagnostic processes underlying human suffering. Due to unfavorable transitions from a scientific standpoint, Steven Hayes, however, dislikes the concept of transdiagnosticism, arguing that it’s akin to calling everyone without an alcohol problem a non-alcoholic – intuitive but not necessarily the forefront of reference. Instead, he proposes the term “process-based therapy.”
According to Hayes, therapists should focus not on labels but on tendencies toward avoidance, overidentification with thoughts, lack of presence in the here and now, lack of understanding of life’s meaning, and lack of action or quickly burning out impulsivity. This allows for easier adaptation to the client’s needs, regardless of the visible problem on the surface.
Scientific Evidence on the Effectiveness of ACT
Research indicates that ACT is an effective therapeutic tool across a wide range of psychological issues, from depression and various anxiety disorders to eating disorders, addictions, borderline personality disorder (as an adjunct to DBT), and even schizophrenia.
Additionally, studies highlight the utility of the psychological flexibility model in coaching, workplace environments, and competitive sports.
Scientific studies on ACT show, among other findings, that:
– ACT therapy is effective in addressing a broad spectrum of mental health issues including depression, anxiety, addictions (substances like drugs, alcohol, nicotine), somatic problems (coping with cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, chronic pain), weight loss, and self-criticism (e.g., A-Tjak et al., 2015; Hayes et al., 2013).
– ACT training promotes personal development and enhances quality of life (e.g., Bohlmeijer et al., 2015), achieving positive outcomes with individuals who had previously participated in other therapies without benefit (Clarke et al., 2014; Gloster et al., 2015).
– It reduces experienced stress, enhances self-control, and boosts creativity in coping with difficulties (Bond, Flaxman, Bunce, 2008; Bond, Bunce, 2000; Flaxman, Bond, 2010; Vilardaga et al., 2011; Biron, van Veldhoven, 2012).
– ACT enhances work performance, improves well-being and mental health, protecting against burnout and emotional exhaustion (Bond, Bunce, 2003; Bond, Flaxman, 2006), and increases performance in athletes by up to 37% (Gardner, Moore, 2012).
– Each element of ACT is an active process of change – therapy and training consist solely of scientifically proven effective processes (e.g., Levin et al., 2012).
– ACT is effective whether conducted in-person or online (Lappalainen et al., 2014).
– ACT is more effective than Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) (Ruiz, 2012) or equally effective as CBT in some cases (e.g., Öst, 2014; A-Tjak et al., 2015).
Source: https://uczesieact.pl/