- Basic premise: ACT is about both acceptance and change. Clients are encouraged to let go of the struggle to change unwanted thoughts and emotions; instead focusing on the present moment and acting on what the client values most.
- Essence of therapy: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a behavioral therapy based on Relational Frame Theory, aims to change the relationship individuals have with unwanted or feared thoughts, feelings, memories, and physical sensations. Acceptance and mindfulness strategies are used to teach clients to decrease avoidance, attachment to cognitions, instead increasing focus on the present and psychological flexibility. Clients learn to clarify their goals and values and to commit to behavioral change strategies.
- Length: approx. 12 sessions
Other Treatment Resources
- Acceptance and commitment therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders: Different treatments, similar mechanisms? Clinical Psychology(Arch & Craske, 2008)
- Treatment of three anxiety disorder cases with acceptance and commitment therapy in a private practice (Codd et al., 2011)
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for generalized Social Anxiety Disorder: A pilot study (Dalrymple & Herbert, 2007)
- Acceptance and commitment therapy for anxiety disorders: Three case studies exemplifying a unified treatment protocol (Eifert et al., 2009)
Meta-analyses and Systematic Reviews
- Acceptance and commitment therapy for anxiety and OCD spectrum disorders: an empirical review (Bluett et al., 2014)
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in the treatment of anxiety: A systematic review (Swain et al., 2013)
- A systematic review of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for managing anxiety: Applicability for people with acquired brain injury? (Soo, Tate, & Lane-Brown, 2011)
Clinical Trials
- Randomized clinical trial of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) versus acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for mixed anxiety disorders (Arch et al., 2012)
- A randomised controlled trial of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy for generalised anxiety disorder (Avdagic, Morrissey, & Boschen, 2014)
- Randomized controlled trial of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for social phobia: Outcomes and moderators (Craske et al., 2014)
- A randomized controlled effectiveness trial of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Therapy for anxiety and depression (Forman et al., 2007)
- Treating treatment-resistant patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia using psychotherapy: A randomized controlled switching trial (Gloster et al., 2015)
- Mindfulness and Acceptance-Based Group Therapy versus traditional Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial (Kocovski et al., 2013)
- Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on the decrease of self-focused attention and improving self-efficacy (Mehrdoost, Neshatdoost, & Abedi, 2013)
- The effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy based on reducing anxiety and depression in students with social phobia (Molavi et al., 2014)
- Cognitive mediators of treatment for social anxiety disorder: Comparing acceptance and commitment therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy (Niles et al., 2014)
- Evaluating the effectiveness of ACT for anxiety disorders in a self-help context: Outcomes from a randomized wait-list controlled trial (Ritzert et al., 2016)
- Acceptance and commitment therapy for generalized anxiety disorder in older adults: A preliminary report (Wetherell et al., 2011)
- Moderators and non-specific predictors of treatment outcome for anxiety disorders: a comparison of cognitive behavioral therapy to acceptance and commitment therapy (Wolitzky-Taylor et al., 2012)
- Effect of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on young people with social anxiety (Yadegari, Hashemiyan, & Abolmaali, 2014)
- Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) versus systematic desensitization in treatment of mathematics anxiety (Zettle, 2003)
Video Repository
Smartphone Apps
- ACT Companion: The Happiness Trap App with Dr. Russ Harris (Berrick Psychology)
- 2Morrow Health for Stress and Anxiety (2Morrow Health)
Books Available for Purchase Through External Sites
- The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety: A Guide to Breaking Free of Anxiety, Phobias, and Worry Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (Forsyth & Eifert)
- Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life: The New Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (A New-Harbinger Self-Helped Workbook) (Hayes & Smith)
- The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Social Anxiety and Shyness: Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to Free Yourself from Fear and Reclaim Your Life (Kocovski & Fleming)
- Things Might Go Terribly, Horribly Wrong: A Guide to Life Liberated from Anxiety (Wilson & Dufrene)
Measures, Handouts and Worksheets
- Acceptance and Action Questionnaire – II (AAQ-II)
- The Valued Living Questionnaire (VLQ)
- The Bulls-Eye Values Survey
- Valuing Questionnaire (VQ)
- The ACT Daily Diary and Weekly Report
- Comprehensive assessment of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy processes (CompACT)
- Believability of Anxious Feelings and Thoughts Questionnaire (BAFT)
- Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire
- Stigmatizing Attitudes–Believability (SAB)
- Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ)
- Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS)
- ACT Knowledge Questionnaire
- COPE
- Experiences Questionnaire (EQ)
- Internalized Shame Scale
- Psychological Inflexibility in Pain Scale (PIPS)
- Scale for Personality Rigidity
- Self-Compassion Scale
- Thought Control Questionnaire
- Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20)
- White Bear Suppression Inventory (WBSI)
Training Materials and Workshops
Related Diagnosis
Mixed Anxiety Conditions
EST Status
N/A
2015 EST Status
Treatment pending re-evaluation
1998 EST Status
Modest