Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is best described as a contextual cogni¬tive behaviour therapy (CBT). Contextual CBTs are a recent addition to the cognitive behavioural tradition and are distinct from earlier approaches (e.g. Beck’s cognitive therapy) in both their proposed mechanisms of change and core therapeutic techniques. Whilst earlier forms of CBT focus on changing the content, form or the frequency of people’s difficult or challenging internal experiences (e.g. thoughts, feelings, physiological sensa¬tions, images and memories), contextual CBTs seek to alter the psychological context, or perspective, in which people approach these experiences. Thus, rather than focusing on challenging and disputing problematic thoughts and feelings, contextual CBTs encourage people to approach those internal events from a mindful and open perspective. In so doing, these unwanted events are less likely to overwhelm them and determine their actions.