ACT — Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a 'third-wave' behavioral therapy approach that focuses on accepting difficult thoughts and emotions rather than fighting them, while taking action guided by personal values. It differs from classic CBT in that it doesn't try to change the content of thoughts, but instead changes the person's relationship to them.

Six core processes of ACT: acceptance (making room for difficult internal experiences), cognitive defusion (observing thoughts as mental events, not as truths), contact with the present moment (mindfulness), self-as-context (a stable observing perspective), values (what truly matters), and committed action (acting in the direction of one's values).

ACT has growing evidence for anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and other conditions. It is especially useful when the struggle against one's own thoughts and emotions is itself a central part of the problem.