Act principles: defusion, acceptance, present, values, and action

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT, pronounced like the word "act") is a psychotherapeutic approach that uses acceptance and mindfulness along with commitment and behavior change strategies to increase psychological flexibility.

Its goal is not to eliminate difficult internal experiences, but to help people live rich and meaningful lives despite them.

Core Components of ACT (Hexaflex)

ACT is based on six interrelated processes, often represented in a hexagon (the "Hexaflex"):

• Acceptance: Being willing to experience difficult internal thoughts, feelings, and sensations without trying to change or control them, especially when such attempts are ineffective or counterproductive.

• Cognitive Defusion: Learning to observe one's thoughts from a distance, recognizing them as simple mental events (words, images) rather than literal truths or facts that should dictate behavior. It involves "disengaging" from the content of thoughts.

• Contact with the Present Moment: Paying attention flexibly to the here and now, with openness and curiosity, rather than ruminating on the past or worrying about the future. This is the practice of mindfulness.

• Self-as-Context: Developing a perspective of the self as a space of awareness where thoughts and feelings can come and go, rather than identifying with a rigid self-concept or the content of internal experiences. It is the "observing self."

• Values: Identifying and clarifying what is truly important and meaningful to the person in different areas of life (relationships, work, personal growth, etc.). Values act as a compass that guides direction.

• Committed Action: Setting goals based on one's values and taking consistent and effective actions to move in that direction, even in the presence of difficult thoughts or feelings.

Goal. Psychological Flexibility

The overall goal of ACT is to increase psychological flexibility, which is the ability to be fully in touch with the present moment as a conscious human being, and to change or persist in behavior that serves one's chosen values.

Instead of striving to eliminate anxious or negative thoughts,ACT teaches how to change the relationship with these internal experiences so that they have less impact and influence on actions, allowing the person to live a life more aligned with what truly matters to them.