Acceptance Commitment Therapy in Farnham Surrey by Anna Kenyon
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is an empirically-based psychological intervention that uses acceptance and mindfulness strategies in combination with commitment and behaviour-change strategies to increase psychological flexibility. There is growing recognition that the more we struggle with any particular thought, the more problematic the thought becomes; an ironic process in which the more we try to reduce the frequency of a particular thought or mood state, the more distressing the thought or mood state can become.
A variety of techniques are used to help clients practice defusing from thoughts, whilst also developing an attitude of acceptance that life inherently involves painful thoughts and emotions, thereby reducing the denial of painful experience and the struggle to ‘correct’ the emotional experience. There is also an emphasis on value-driven behaviours and developing a commitment to act in accordance with our values, something which has been shown to lead to greater fulfilment and happiness.
ACT is used in conjunction with other treatments offered through The Psychology Clinic.