Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is one of the recent mindfulness-based behaviour therapies shown to be effective with a diverse range of clinical conditions. In contrast to the assumption of 'healthy normality' of Western psychology, ACT assumes that the psychological processes of a normal human mind are often destructive and create psychological suffering. Symptom reduction is not a goal of ACT, based on the view that ongoing attempts to get rid of 'symptoms' can create clinical disorders in the first place.

The goal of ACT is to create a rich and meaningful life, while accepting the pain that inevitably goes with it. 'ACT' is a good abbreviation, because this therapy is about taking effective action guided by our deepest values and in which we are fully present and engaged. It is only through mindful action that we can create a meaningful life. Of course, as we attempt to create such a life, we will encounter all sorts of barriers, in the form of unpleasant and unwanted 'private experiences' (thoughts, images, feelings, sensations, urges, and memories). ACT teaches mindfulness skills as an effective way to handle these private experiences.

Source: http://icp.org.au/therapy_info/acceptance-commitment-therapy/

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT, typically pronounced as the word "act") is a form of psychotherapy commonly described as a form of cognitive-behavior therapy or of clinical behavior analysis (CBA). It is an empirically-based psychological intervention that uses acceptance and mindfulness strategies mixed in different ways with commitment and behavior-change strategies, to increase psychological flexibility. The approach was originally called comprehensive distancing. It was begun in 1982 by Steven C. Hayes and was first tested by Robert Zettle in 1985, but was built out into its modern form in the late 1980s. There are a variety of protocols for ACT, depending on the target behavior or setting. For example, in behavioral health areas a brief version of ACT is called focused acceptance and commitment therapy (FACT).

The objective of ACT is not elimination of difficult feelings; rather, it is to be present with what life brings us and to "move toward valued behavior". Acceptance and commitment therapy invites people to open up to unpleasant feelings, and learn not to overreact to them, and not avoiding situations where they are invoked. Its therapeutic effect is a positive spiral where feeling better leads to a better understanding of the truth. In ACT, 'truth' is measured through the concept of 'workability', or what works to take another step toward what matters (e.g. values, meaning). For example, actively creating valued interactions with the kids would lead the parent to feel more satisfaction, which in turn, would help create more valued interactions.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acceptance_and_commitment_therapy