Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Mindfulness and values-based therapy to live a richer, fuller life aligned with what truly matters to you.
What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?
Stop Struggling, Start Living
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT, said as one word) is an evidence-based approach that helps you stop fighting against difficult emotions and start living according to your values. Rather than trying to eliminate anxiety, depression, or painful feelings, ACT teaches you to accept these internal experiences while still taking action toward what matters most to you. At Summit Psychotherapy Center, our clinicians integrate ACT principles to help you develop psychological flexibility—the ability to be present with difficult experiences, let go of unhelpful struggles with your thoughts and feelings, clarify what truly matters to you, and take committed action toward building a meaningful life. ACT is effective for anxiety, depression, trauma, chronic pain, and many other challenges. It’s not about feeling better— It’s about learning to let go of the struggle with painful internal experiences in the service of living better.
The Six Core Processes of ACT
Building Psychological Flexibility
Acceptance
Opening up to and making room for difficult feelings, sensations, and experiences rather than fighting against them or trying to make them go away.
Cognitive Defusion
Learning to see thoughts as thoughts – mental events – rather than absolute truths or commands. Creating distance from unhelpful thinking patterns.
Contact with the Present Moment (Mindfulness)
Being fully present and engaged with whatever is happening right now, rather than being lost in thoughts about the past or future.
Self-as-Context
Recognizing that you are not your thoughts, feelings, or experiences. You’re the observer of these experiences, which creates perspective and flexibility.
Values
Clarifying what truly matters to you—your chosen life directions. Values are different from goals; they’re ongoing directions rather than destinations.
Committed Action
Moving with your feet first. Taking effective action guided by your values, even when it’s difficult or uncomfortable. Building patterns of behavior that create a meaningful life.
Who Can Benefit from ACT?
Is ACT Right for You?
ACT may be particularly helpful if you:
Struggle with anxiety, worry, or fear
Experience depression or persistent sadness
Have chronic pain or medical illness
Are dealing with trauma or difficult life experiences
Feel stuck in rumination or overthinking
Want to live according to your values but feel blocked
Find yourself avoiding situations due to difficult emotions
Want to learn how to feel discomfort in the service of building a more meaningful life
Resonate with mindfulness and values-based approaches
Struggle with perfectionism or harsh self-criticism
Experience existential concerns about meaning and purpose
What to Expect
in ACT Treatment
The ACT Therapeutic Process
ACT therapy focuses on building psychological flexibility through practical exercises and experiential learning:
Experiential Exercises
Using metaphors, mindfulness, and behavioral experiments to promote flexibility
Acceptance Skills
Learning to make room for difficult emotions rather than struggling against them
Mindfulness Practice
Developing present-moment awareness and nonjudgmental observation
Defusion Techniques
Creating distance from unhelpful thoughts and seeing them as mental events
Committed Action Planning
Setting values-based goals and taking steps toward meaningful living
Observer Self
Noticing the noticer – Observing internal experiences for what they are, thoughts and emotions, rather than being defined by them
Control as the Problem
Learning to drop fight against things that are outside of your control so you can spend more time and energy living your life
Values Clarification
Identifying what truly matters to you across life domains (relationships, work, personal growth, etc.)
How ACT Differs from Other Approaches
A Different Way of Approaching Suffering
Acceptance vs. Control
While CBT often focuses on changing thoughts, ACT emphasizes accepting difficult internal experiences and changing behavior. You learn to let go of the struggle with unwanted thoughts and feelings.
Values vs. Goals
ACT distinguishes between values (ongoing life directions) and goals (specific achievements). You don’t achieve a value – you live according to it moment by moment.
Mindfulness Foundation
ACT is grounded in mindfulness and acceptance practices, helping you develop a different relationship with your internal experiences.
Can Be Integrated
ACT principles can be integrated with other treatments like trauma processing, DBT skills, or behavioral activation for depression.
Why Choose Summit for ACT?
Evidence-Based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Our doctoral-level clinicians provide ACT to a wide array of presenting problems including anxiety, depression, trauma, and chronic pain. We draw on ACT’s focus on acceptance, values, and committed action to help clients build psychological flexibility and live meaningful lives. Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, or simply feeling stuck, we can help you clarify what matters most and take action toward building the life you want—even when difficult feelings are present. Our approach balances acceptance with change, validation with action, and compassion with accountability.
Ready to Live According to Your Values?
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can help you stop struggling with difficult emotions and start living a richer, fuller life aligned with what truly matters to you.