The key principles of ACT

ACT is built around six core processes that work together to develop psychological flexibility – the ability to accept difficult thoughts and feelings without being controlled by them, while taking action guided by your personal values.  

The key ACT processes are:

1. Acceptance

Acceptance involves making room for your emotions and thoughts (including the unpleasant ones) rather than struggling with them or avoiding them.  ACT sees all emotions and thoughts as part of our natural and normal human experience, which can help foster a sense of self-compassion.

Acceptance is not about giving up, liking or agreeing with your thoughts and feelings, it is about making room for them so they have less power over you and your behaviour.

2. Cognitive defusion

Cognitive defusion helps you create psychological distance between you and your thoughts. This way you can see your thoughts as passing mental events, rather than absolute facts.

Instead of ‘I am a failure’, cognitive defusion helps you recognise ‘I am having the thought that I am a failure’, which creates distance and reduces the thoughts grip on you.

3. Being present

Being present and mindful is an integral part of ACT. This principle focuses on maintaining non-judgement awareness of your present reality, and in turn reduces your chance of thoughts spiraling as you are paying keen attention to the moment, rather than ruminating on past or possible future events. 

4. Self as context

Similar to cognitive defusion, this ACT principle focuses on separating us as the self from the thoughts we have. Specifically, this principle helps you recognise that you are not your thoughts, feelings or experiences – you are the person who observes them.

Think of it like being the sky rather than the weather; the weather changes constantly, but the sky always remains. This can create a stable sense of self, even when thoughts or feelings change.

5. Values clarification

Along with acceptance, values driven behavior is the other key part of ACT. Values clarification seeks to support your mental well-being by making you aware of what is genuinely meaningful to you and in turn, supporting you to lead a purpose-driven life, aligned with your personal values.

This also limits you from being driven by your emotions and instead focuses on behaviour that aligns with your values.

6. Being present

This principle is focused on goal-setting and practical behaviours. Committed action means taking concrete steps towards goals that are in line with your values, managing obstacles that may pop up, and persevering so you can lead a meaningful life that’s in line with your purpose, goals and values.

While you commit to acting in line with your values, you’re able to focus more squarely on what you can control, rather than the emotions or thoughts you can’t. 

Each of these principles are used together in ACT to support you to live a meaningful life aligned to your values and foster an acceptance of self without shame or judgment. 

Further ACT Resources  

1. A-Tjak, J. G. L., Davis, M. L., Morina, N., Powers, M. B., Smits, J. A. J., & Emmelkamp, P. M. G. (2015). A meta-analysis of the efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy for clinically relevant mental and physical health problems.

2. Ruiz, F. J. (2012). Acceptance and commitment therapy versus traditional cognitive behavioral therapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of current empirical evidence.

3. Swain, J., Hancock, K., Dixon, A., & Bowman, J. (2015). Acceptance and commitment therapy for children: A systematic review of intervention studies.