Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Life brings pressure — work stress, family strain, and that constant sense you should be doing more. ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) is a practical, evidence-based approach that helps you handle thoughts and emotions without getting knocked off course. Instead of trying to control or escape what’s hard, ACT helps you build the tools to stay grounded, focused, and take action toward the life you actually want.
ACT FAQ
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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a modern, evidence-based approach that helps you handle stress, anxiety, and life’s challenges without getting stuck in your head. Instead of trying to eliminate uncomfortable thoughts or emotions, ACT teaches you how to move with them — so you can show up fully and take action toward what matters most.
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Many therapies focus on fixing symptoms or changing how you think. ACT is different. It’s built on solid behavioural science that explains how lasting change actually happens. ACT gives you a clear, research-backed framework for creating positive outcomes that hold up over time — not just quick fixes.
Instead of chasing “feeling better,” ACT helps you get better at feeling: learning skills to stay steady, grounded, and values-driven no matter what’s going on around you.
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Yes — and in a big way. ACT is backed by over 1,000 scientific studies and is recognized worldwide for its effectiveness with anxiety, depression, trauma, substance use, chronic pain, and stress. It’s practical, flexible, and proven to work with real people in real life.
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ACT sessions are active and collaborative. You won’t just sit and talk — you’ll learn tools you can actually use. We might work on mindfulness, values clarification, or new ways to handle difficult thoughts and emotions. The goal is to help you take action in the direction of the life you want, even when it’s hard.
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Not at all. Acceptance doesn’t mean giving up or tolerating bad situations. In ACT, acceptance means making space for what you can’t control so you can focus on what you can — your choices, actions, and values. It’s about taking ownership, not surrender.
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ACT works well for anyone feeling stuck, stressed, or disconnected — especially those who prefer straight talk and practical tools over jargon. It’s a good fit for men, young adults, and parents who want therapy that helps them handle pressure, relationships, and change with clarity and purpose.
How ACT Fits Into My Counselling Approach
ACT isn’t about chasing positivity or forcing change — it’s about building the skills to handle life as it is, and still move toward what matters. In my work, I blend ACT with body-based (somatic) approaches that help you recognize and regulate what’s happening beneath the surface — the automatic nervous system responses that often drive stress, anger, or shutdown.
Together, we work from both directions: using practical, science-backed tools to build mental flexibility, and body awareness to restore balance and presence. The goal isn’t to “fix” you — it’s to help you reconnect with your values, your body, and your own sense of direction.
If you’re ready to get unstuck and take the next step, we can start with a short consult to see if ACT and somatic therapy are a good fit for you.
Somatic Approaches to Therapy
Your nervous system is part of the conversation too. Somatic therapy helps it join in — here’s how.
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“Somatic” simply means of the body. Somatic therapy focuses on how stress, trauma, and emotion live not just in our minds, but also in our nervous systems. When we face ongoing pressure or past hurt, our bodies can stay stuck in survival states — fight, flight, freeze, or shutdown — long after the threat is gone.
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The nervous system is at the core of how we experience safety, connection, and control. When it’s dysregulated, we might feel on edge, numb, or reactive without knowing why. Learning to notice and regulate your body’s automatic responses helps you recover a sense of steadiness — mentally and physically.
Instead of chasing “feeling better,” ACT helps you get better at feeling: learning skills to stay steady, grounded, and values-driven no matter what’s going on around you.
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You won’t be asked to “relive” trauma or do anything extreme. Somatic work is slow, grounded, and practical. We focus on tracking sensations, understanding body signals, and using simple techniques to help your system return to balance. It’s about building awareness and choice where reactivity used to take over.
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ACT sessions are active and collaborative. You won’t just sit and talk — you’ll learn tools you can actually use. We might work on mindfulness, values clarification, or new ways to handle difficult thoughts and emotions. The goal is to help you take action in the direction of the life you want, even when it’s hard.
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ACT gives you the mental framework to respond differently to thoughts and emotions. Somatic therapy gives you the body-based skills to feel safe enough to use those tools. Together, they help you manage stress, strengthen resilience, and live with more presence and intention — from the inside out.
How Therapy Works
Totally normal to wonder what actually happens in therapy. Here’s what working together actually looks like.
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Therapy with me is straightforward and collaborative. We focus on what’s actually happening in your life — not abstract theory. You’ll learn practical tools drawn from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and somatic approaches that help you manage stress, emotions, and reactions in real time.
Each session builds toward developing clarity, self-awareness, and the ability to handle challenges with more steadiness and direction.
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Both. Sometimes you need space to unpack what’s going on; other times you want clear feedback or strategies. I don’t sit back silently — I’ll offer perspective, tools, and direction when it’s useful, and always at a pace that works for you.
Instead of chasing “feeling better,” ACT helps you get better at feeling: learning skills to stay steady, grounded, and values-driven no matter what’s going on around you.
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That depends on your goals. Some people notice real changes within a few sessions; others prefer ongoing work as life evolves. We’ll check in regularly to make sure therapy is meeting your needs and adjust as we go.
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The first session is about understanding where you’re at, what’s working, and what’s not. We’ll talk about your goals and outline a plan that feels realistic. You’ll leave with a sense of direction — not a sales pitch.
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Do you work online or in person?
Both. I offer secure virtual sessions for convenience and privacy, and in-person sessions in my counselling space in [insert your city or area]. You can choose whichever feels right for you. -
That’s completely fine —You don’t need to know what to say or have it all figured out. We’ll start where you are, and I’ll guide you through the process at a pace that feels comfortable.
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Yes. Everything we talk about is private and confidential, within the standard legal and ethical limits (which I’ll explain clearly in our first session). Your privacy and trust are central to how I work.
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Yes — I offer brief phone or video consults so you can ask questions and get a feel for how I work before committing to a session. No pressure, just a conversation.
The Science of How Therapy Works
Psychotherapy isn’t magic — it’s a set of systematic interventions that change the way our brains and bodies respond to experience. From a scientific perspective, ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) operationalizes mindfulness, values-driven action, and cognitive defusion in ways that are measurable and linked to neural changes.
1. Mindfulness and Present-Moment Awareness
In ACT, mindfulness is not just “relaxation” or “being present” — it’s a deliberate, operationalized skill. Neuroimaging studies show that mindfulness practices reduce activity in the default mode network (DMN) — the brain network associated with mind-wandering, rumination, and self-referential thought.
By decreasing DMN overactivity, mindfulness in ACT helps clients:
Reduce cycles of worry and rumination
Increase attentional control and meta-awareness
Make space between thought and action, enabling values-based choice
2. Cognitive Defusion and Relational Frame Theory
ACT is grounded in Relational Frame Theory (RFT), which describes how language shapes our thinking. The human brain automatically builds associations, rules, and meanings — useful for survival, but also a major source of mental rigidity and suffering. Cognitive defusion practices in ACT help loosen that grip by noticing thoughts as passing mental events rather than literal truths. Brain imaging shows this shift activates prefrontal regions linked to self-awareness and control while calming limbic areas tied to emotional reactivity — creating more flexibility in how we respond to stress and experience.
3. Values and Behavioral Activation
ACT grounds change in values-guided action. Research on behavioral activation shows that doing what matters — even in small steps — lights up the brain’s reward circuits and strengthens pathways for motivation and follow-through. When combined with mindfulness and cognitive defusion, this creates a feedback loop between awareness and action that reinforces psychological flexibility.
4. Psychological Flexibility as a Core Mechanism
At its core, ACT builds psychological flexibility — the ability to stay present, make space for thoughts and emotions, and take action guided by what matters most. Research shows that this flexibility lines up with real changes in the brain: less activity in the default mode network (the “mental chatter” system), stronger connections in executive control networks, and better regulation between emotion and decision-making regions. Together, these shifts help explain why ACT is effective across anxiety, depression, trauma, and stress.
5. Somatic Integration and Nervous System Regulation
Beyond the brain, ACT’s effects deepen when the body is engaged. Developing awareness of internal signals — things like breath, muscle tension, and heart rate — supports better nervous system regulation. This helps shift the body out of fight, flight, or freeze, creating the physiological conditions for lasting behavioral and cognitive change.
Bottom line
ACT is essentially a set of interventions that:
Reduce maladaptive self-referential brain activity (DMN)
Increase executive control and emotional regulation
Strengthen value-driven behavior circuits
Integrate body and brain for sustainable flexibility
This combination explains, from a neuroscientific and behavioral perspective, why clients experience lasting changes in stress, mood, and life satisfaction.