ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) explores the way you talk to yourself and helps you embrace your thoughts and emotions while taking meaningful steps toward a life aligned with your values.
What is ACT?
ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) is a modern form of psychotherapy rooted in behavioural and cognitive psychology. It is a mindfulness-based approach that helps individuals address psychological challenges by accepting their experiences rather than fighting against them, while committing to actions aligned with their core values. The goal of ACT is to enhance psychological flexibility—enabling individuals to live a meaningful life despite the presence of difficult emotions or thoughts.
Core Principles of ACT:
- Acceptance: Embracing thoughts, emotions, and experiences without judgment or resistance.
- Cognitive Defusion: Learning to distance oneself from unhelpful thoughts, seeing them as passing experiences rather than facts.
- Mindfulness: Cultivating present-moment awareness to fully engage with the here and now.
- Values Clarification: Identifying personal values to guide decision-making and behaviour.
- Committed Action: Taking actionable steps aligned with one’s values, even when it feels challenging.
- Self-as-Context: Recognizing the self as an observer of experiences rather than being defined by thoughts or feelings.
Is ACT Right for Me?
Key Features:
•Empirical Basis: ACT is evidence-based and has been effective in treating a range of conditions, including anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and more.
•Focus on Meaningful Life: Unlike therapies that aim to eliminate symptoms, ACT emphasizes building a life of purpose and fulfillment.
By teaching individuals to embrace discomfort in the service of living a values-driven life, ACT helps people navigate life’s difficulties with greater resilience and authenticity.
- Panic attacks
- Intrusive thoughts or flashbacks
- High levels of anxiety, tension, or stress
- Irritability, anger, and outbursts
- Negative beliefs or self-esteem issues
- Dissociation or avoidance
- Intense, uncontrollable emotions
- Withdrawal symptoms
ART has been demonstrated effective in treating a range of conditions including:
- Trauma and PTSD
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Phobias
- Addiction/substance use
- Chronic pain/health conditions
- Sleep disorders
- Relationship Issues
Therapists who work with ACT: Jessica Burgess
How long does a typical ART therapy session last?
ART sessions at Clearview Counselling usually last between 1 and 1.5 hours. The duration of treatment can vary depending on each individual’s needs, the complexity and severity of their trauma, and their progress throughout therapy. The length of treatment will be determined in ongoing consultation with your therapist.
How many ART sessions will I need?
The number of sessions required varies from person to person. ART has been demonstrated to be a quick and effective therapy with many people experiencing resolution in between one and five sessions. The length of therapy may vary depending on your needs and whether you are doing ART as a stand-alone therapy or integrated with other therapy. Your therapist at Clearview Counselling will work with you to develop a treatment plan that suits your specific needs.
Is ART therapy safe?
Yes, ART therapy is considered safe when administered by a trained and licensed therapist. At Clearview Counselling, our ART therapists have received specialized training in ART in addition to the extensive training they have received to become psychologists.
Before engaging in ART therapy, our therapists will explore the potential risks and benefits with you. As with any treatment that involved eye-movements, your therapist may suggest you speak with your doctor if you have any health conditions that may be exacerbated or impacted by this type of treatment.
Can I combine ART with other forms of treatment?
Absolutely. ART can be used as a stand-alone treatment or integrated with other therapeutic approaches to address your mental health needs. Our ART therapists at Clearview Counselling are experienced in developing personalized treatment plans that may involve a combination of therapies for the best possible outcome.
Can ART be used with children?
At Clearview Counselling, ART is typically available for children 14 and older who have experienced trauma or struggling with a variety of mental health concerns. We recommend younger children who are experiencing emotional or behavioural difficulties that are linked to difficult or traumatic experiences engage in EMDR or other psychotherapies aimed at addressing their distress.
What is the difference between art therapy and ART therapy?
The acronyms used in therapy can be confusing as they can refer to multiple things. At Clearview Counselling, we offer Accelerated Resolution Therapy – also known as ART. There is also type of therapy called art therapy. Art therapy that combines artistic mediums and processes with psychotherapy to explore one’s inner world.