Acceptance & Commitment Therapy

Acceptance and commitment therapy is based on the concept that the core problem of individual is experiential avoidance, which is avoidance of unwanted thoughts, feelings and personal events. It focuses on learning acceptance of things as they come, without evaluating or attempting to change them. It does not attempt to change unwanted thoughts or feelings, but instead encourages clients to develop compassion towards those experiences. It teaches clients mindfulness skills to develop greater psychological flexibility primarily through acceptance, defusion, establishment of transcendent sense of self, contact with present values and behave in a manner which is consistent with his/her personal values. So ACT does not focus on symptom reduction rather focuses to develop greater psychological flexibility.

Aim of therapy

Generating value-based goals and achieving them in the process of therapy.

It is used to treat

1. Stress related disorders
2. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
3. Phobias and social anxiety disorders
4. Substance use disorders.

Sessions

It generally lengthens to eight weekly sessions.