What Is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?
Imagine a thought appears and you do not have to argue with it. That is exactly what people practise in a special therapy. It is called ACT.
1. What Is It Actually?
ACT is a therapy. A therapy is not a medicine, but a time when you talk to someone and do exercises. The long name means: Accepting and deciding. Accepting means that difficult feelings are allowed to be there. You do not have to push them away. Deciding means that you decide to do something that is important to you. Imagine you have a queasy feeling in your stomach before a class test. You can fight against it and keep thinking: “I must not be nervous.” Or you notice: “There is the nervousness.” And then you still pick up the pen. In therapy, people practise, for example, observing their thoughts as if they were clouds passing by. Or they pay attention to their breath. This is called mindfulness. It is not about the thoughts disappearing. It is about noticing them and still going your way.
2. Where Does It Come From?
ACT does not come from nature like a plant or a stone. It comes from psychology, that is, from the science of thinking and feeling. Researchers count it among the newer psychological treatments. In a review article on pain, it says that a “new generation” of psychological treatments is being investigated. With ACT, therefore, no substance is put into the body. What is practised is conversations, attention and tasks for everyday life. Some people do these exercises alone with a book or a programme on the screen. Others meet for this with a person who guides them.
3. What Do the Researchers Investigate?
There are many studies on ACT: 1318 in total, of which 939 with people and 459 with a comparison group. The studies often involve people with long-lasting pain. Researchers have, for example, tested whether a programme on the internet helps, whether a conversation via video works just as well as a face-to-face meeting, and what review articles say about many studies together. Proven: For long-lasting pain, researchers have frequently investigated ACT. Much is nevertheless still open. The researchers continue to ask: For whom does this therapy fit particularly well? How many sessions are useful? And does it also work for other complaints? Such questions remain open. New studies are to clarify them.
4. An Experiment to Think About
Try this once. Think of a sentence that sometimes annoys you, for example: “I cannot do that.” Now try to push this sentence away. Count to ten and think of nothing at all while doing so. Do you notice how the sentence still comes back? Now imagine the sentence is written on a sheet of paper. You hold the sheet in your hand and look at it. You do not have to tear it up. You can simply hold it and still stand up and fetch your book. This is exactly the kind of thing people practise in ACT. The thought is allowed to be there. You decide what you do anyway.
For adults and professionals: the detailed page on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to be in a good mood all the time?
No, not at all. It is not about never being sad or angry. It is about noticing what is going on inside you right now and still taking care of what matters to you.
Can you do this alone at home too?
Yes, researchers have studied that. There are programmes where people do the exercises with guidance over the internet. The studies checked how well that works.
Is ACT a medicine?
No, ACT is not a tablet or a juice. It is a therapy with conversations and exercises. That is why there are no amounts or drops that you have to count.
Every statement on this page carries its evidence tier — proven, plausible or hypothesis — and leads to the original work. The decision in the individual case rests with the practitioner; we provide the connections.