Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT, pronounced as the word “act”) is an empirically based psychological intervention that helps people learn strategies to live life more in the present moment, more focused on important values and goals and less focused on painful thoughts, feelings and experiences.
The aim of ACT is to increase a person’s psychological flexibility through:
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Learning psychological skills (known as mindfulness skills) to be in contact with the present moment more fully and to manage painful thoughts and feelings effectively so they have less impact; and,
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Helping people to clarify what is most important to them (their values) and then to use this knowledge to guide, inspire and motivate them to change their lives for the better by taking committed action.
Reference: Dr Russ Harris – http://www.actmindfully.com.au/acceptance_&_commitment_therapy