Behavioural therapyGrounded in research

ACT. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

You do not have to defeat your negative thoughts. You do not have to believe them either. ACT teaches you to see them for what they are and still live the way you want to.

What is ACT?

ACT stands for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. It is a form of behavioural therapy that grew out of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and belongs to what is called the third generation of behavioural therapies. Developed by the American psychologist Steven Hayes, ACT is now one of the best researched therapies in the world.

The core of ACT is simple: fighting your own thoughts and feelings costs an enormous amount of energy. And the harder you fight, the stronger those thoughts come back. ACT asks you to do something different: accept what is there, let go of what holds you back, and turn your attention to what genuinely matters to you.

The goal is not to make your complaints disappear. The goal is to live your life, even while those complaints are still there. That may sound strange, but it works. Research shows that ACT is effective for more than twelve different mental health complaints.

Scientific basis: an extensive meta-analysis (A-Tjak et al., 2015, Clinical Psychology Review) shows that ACT is significantly effective for anxiety, depression, burnout, chronic pain and addiction problems. ACT is on the list of recognised treatments of the Dutch Trimbos Institute.

What is the difference with CBT?

CBT, cognitive behavioural therapy

Focuses on changing negative thoughts. You examine whether a thought is accurate and replace it with a more realistic one. Strongly aimed at reducing symptoms.

ACT, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Focuses on accepting negative thoughts, without having to believe or change them. You learn to live with them without letting them steer your life. Strongly aimed at quality of life.

Both therapies are proven effective. Which suits you best is something you discuss during the intake. Sometimes they are combined.

Who is ACT for?

ACT works well for people who notice they put a lot of energy into fighting their own thoughts, without it helping. Do you recognise yourself in any of the following?

✓You worry a lot and cannot manage to stop

✓You avoid more and more situations out of fear of how you will feel

✓You feel low or exhausted, and no longer know what gives you energy

✓You feel trapped in negative thoughts about yourself

✓You put things off, even though you know it harms you

✓You want to know again what really counts for you in life

ACT is proven effective for: burnout and work stress, anxiety disorders, depression, chronic pain, grief and loss, procrastination and perfectionism.

How does ACT work?

A course of ACT is practical in nature. Together with a provider you work on six core skills, also called the six pillars of ACT. Together they form what researchers call psychological flexibility: the ability to act from what matters to you, even when it is difficult.

Acceptance

You learn to feel your emotions instead of pushing them away, including the unpleasant ones. Emotions you suppress come back stronger later. A provider helps you discover what stops you from letting your feelings in.

Defusion

Thoughts can take you over completely. With defusion techniques you learn to step back from unhelpful thoughts, without having to believe them. You even learn to laugh at them a little, which takes away their force.

Observing yourself

You learn to look at yourself more kindly and with more curiosity. Not with judgement, but with understanding. Who are you beyond your thoughts and feelings?

The here and now

Your thoughts often live in the past or the future. ACT brings you back to the present: the only moment in which you can actually do something.

Values

What truly matters to you? Not what you think is expected, but what moves you deep down. Your values are your compass when making choices.

Committed action

Once you know what matters to you, you can start acting from those values. Small, concrete steps in the direction of the life you want to live.

What can you expect?

ACT is an active therapy. You work not only in the sessions, but also practise at home. That may sound demanding, but the exercises are practical and easy to apply in daily life.

A course of ACT takes 8 to 16 sessions on average, depending on your complaint and personal situation. Sometimes elements of ACT are combined with other forms of therapy, such as EMDR or CBT.

Related complaints

Burnout Stress Anxiety disorder Depression Worrying

Related treatments

CBT Mindfulness Schema therapy Psychoeducation

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between ACT and CBT?

CBT focuses on changing negative thoughts: you examine whether a thought is accurate and replace it with a more realistic one. ACT instead asks you to accept negative thoughts without having to believe or change them. ACT is strongly aimed at quality of life, CBT more at reducing symptoms. Both therapies are proven effective. Which suits you best is something you discuss during the intake.

How many sessions does a course of ACT take?

A course of ACT takes 8 to 16 sessions on average, depending on your complaint and personal situation. Sometimes elements of ACT are combined with other forms of therapy, such as EMDR or CBT, which can make the total treatment longer.

Is ACT suitable if I have already tried other therapy?

Yes. ACT works well for people who notice they have put a lot of energy into fighting their own thoughts without it helping. Precisely when other forms of therapy did not bring the result you hoped for, ACT can offer a different angle: not battling your complaints, but learning to live with what is there and turning towards what genuinely matters to you.

Which complaints does ACT work for?

ACT is proven effective for more than twelve different mental health complaints, including burnout and work stress, anxiety disorders, depression, chronic pain, grief and loss, and procrastination and perfectionism. This is confirmed by an extensive meta-analysis (A-Tjak et al., 2015, Clinical Psychology Review). ACT is on the list of recognised treatments of the Dutch Trimbos Institute.

Getting started with ACT

Do you recognise yourself in this?

Book an intake with a provider trained in ACT. During that conversation you will look together at whether ACT fits you and your situation.

Book an intake Other treatments

ACT may be reimbursed from Dutch basic health insurance with a referral from your GP.

Sources: A-Tjak et al. (2015), Clinical Psychology Review · Hayes, S.C. (2004), Behaviour Research and Therapy · Trimbos Institute