Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT, typically pronounced as the word "act") is a form of psychotherapy, as well as a branch of clinical behavior analysis. It is an empirically-based psychological intervention that uses acceptance and mindfulness strategies along with commitment and behavior-change strategies to increase psychological flexibility.
This approach was first called comprehensive distancing. Steven C. Hayes developed it around 1982 to integrate features of cognitive therapy and behavior analysis, especially behavior analytic data on the often negative effects of verbal rules and how they might be ameliorated.
ACT protocols vary with the target behavior and the setting. For example, in behavioral health, a brief version of ACT is focused acceptance and commitment therapy (FACT).
The goal of ACT is not elimination of difficult feelings, but to be present with what life brings and to "move toward valued behavior".: 240 Acceptance and commitment therapy invites people to open up to unpleasant feelings, not to overreact to them, and not to avoid situations that cause them.
Its therapeutic effect aims to be a positive spiral, in which more understanding of one's emotions leads to a better understanding of the truth. In ACT, "truth" is measured through the concept of "workability", or what works to take another step toward what matters (e.g., values, meaning).
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