What Is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?
Understanding the concept
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) supports psychological flexibility: making room for difficult inner experiences while taking steps guided by personally meaningful values. It does not ask people to approve of suffering or give up on change.
What this might look like
Someone may experience anxiety and still choose to make a valued connection rather than waiting to feel entirely calm.
A question to reflect on
Which value could guide one small action this week, even if discomfort is present?
Research & further reading
- Macri & Rogge (2024). Psychological flexibility as a treatment mechanism in ACT: A systematic and meta-analytic review.
- National Institute of Mental Health. Psychotherapies: Finding a therapist and understanding treatment.
These sources offer background reading and do not necessarily substantiate every sentence in this article. This is educational information, not diagnosis or personalized advice. Content should be clinician-reviewed prior to public launch.