Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
What does using ACT look like in session?
It can look like all sorts of things! Many ACT practitioners (myself included!) get trapped in the cycle of talking about ACT rather than doing ACT. I make it a point to be mindful of this and ensure that we are practicing tools in our appointments so you can experience a noticeable shift in yourself in real time. Sometimes it involves leaning into and even embracing discomfort in the safety of the therapy room. It can include us doing things together to purposefully bring about discomfort and use skills during the session. It can also involve psychoeducation about ACT, developing an action plan for you to practice outside of therapy, and working together as a team to name thoughts and feelings as they arise. Metaphors are a big piece of ACT and can help better one’s understanding of both the cognitive concepts and shift into the experiential piece.