Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) gets it name from one of its core messages: to accept what is out of your personal control, while committing to action that will improve your quality of life.
The aim of ACT (which is pronounced as the word ‘act’, not as the initials A.C.T.) is to help people achieve psychological flexibility and create a rich full and meaningful life. It seeks to do this by:
a) Teaching psychological skills to deal with painful thoughts and feelings effectively – in such a way that they have much less impact and influence over you. (These are typically as mindfulness skills.)
b) Helping clients to clarify what is truly important and meaningful to them – ie their values – then use that knowledge to guide, inspire and motivate them to change their lives for the better.