ACT emphasizes that thoughts are neither good nor bad. ACT treatment involves teaching the client to view their thoughts as neutral. Therefore, the aim is not to help clients get rid of these thoughts but instead teach them to be accepting of them. The goal is to get them to a place where they can experience thoughts that previously made them uncomfortable and recognize them as simply being thoughts. Thus, even if they continue to experience these thoughts, they no longer get in the way of them living their lives. 

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- Values 
- Committed Action 
- Defusion 
- Acceptance 
- Self as Context 
- Connecting with the present moment

Six Processes of Acceptance Commitment Therapy

Harris, R. (2019). ACT made simple (2nd edition). New Harbinger Publications, Inc. 


ACT made simple

Acceptance Commitment Therapy Processes References 

One of the core principles of ACT is a person's values. ACT helps a  person to identify these value and develop the skills that they need to live their lives according to these values. According to ACT, this is the best way to live a life in which they feel fulfilled. 

Six Processes of ACT: Values

The process of committed action refers to the goal of helping clients adopt more productive, fulfilling behaviors in their lives as opposed to the ones that they become trapped in. An example of these unproductive behaviors would be staying home from a social event in attempts to avoid their anxieties surrounding going out. A productive, committed action would help them to get out of this pattern and live their lives. Most times, this would involve living life according to a person's values and goals. 

Six Processes of ACT: Committed Action 

According to ACT principles, people can become fused with their thoughts when they allow them to define who they are. Often times, these are thoughts which cause a person distress and ones that they tend to dwell on. Defusion is the act of detaching from such thoughts and not allowing them to have as much power. 

Six Processes of ACT: Defusion

Six Processes of ACT: Acceptance 

The Self As Context component of ACT involves the client's sense of who they are. Instead of defining themselves by specific thoughts/ideas they have about themselves, ACT helps them to see themselves as complex and multifaceted. 

Six Processes of ACT: Self As Context

As the name suggests,  the ACT component of Connecting with the Present Moment involves  a person centering themselves in the present. Instead of worrying about the future or dwelling on the past, the client is encouraged to simply be . It involves becoming aware of their surroundings, themselves, and their emotions. This often done through mindfulness exercises such as meditation. 

Six Processes of ACT: Connecting with the Present Moment 

It is possible to adapt ACT to fit different cultures. One study examined the effectiveness of an ACT treatment program which incorporated cultural, familial, and religious on Iranian high school girls. These adaptions included explaining concepts through the use of metaphors relevant to their culture as well as Iranian stories and images. The girls who participated in the ACT sessions demonstrated greater symptom reduction over time as well as improvement in emotional regulation and intolerance of uncertainty. 

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