Section 2: The ACT Model
What is ACT
ACT (pronounced as one word and not as an acronym A-C-T), or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy/ Training, is a relatively new, evidence-based ‘third wave’[1] behaviour therapy. ACT differs from classical cognitive therapy in numerous ways (Hayes, 2005):
- ACT highlights the paradox of psychological problem-solving: Our psychological challenges worsen when we try to get rid of these problems (e.g., people’s anxiety often worsens when they keep telling themselves, “I must not be anxious.”).
- ACT differentiates between pain and suffering: All people experience different kinds of pain; pain is part of living. However, avoidance of pain and unwanted experiences can lead to additional pain and suffering.
- ACT promotes a counterintuitive and unconventional concept: Accepting pain is an important step towards reducing our suffering; we can begin living a life we value starting now – we do not need to wait until all our problems are solved or our pain has disappeared.
ACT promotes awareness of our constant critical and evaluative mind (or non-stop judgmental thoughts) and our internalized rules. It supports us to recognize and accept thoughts and feelings that emerge beyond our control. At the same time, ACT supports us to find new ways to relate to these thoughts and feelings so that we can free ourselves from constant struggle and suffering. ACT also enables us to develop compassion towards ourselves and others so that we can engage in full lives.
In a nutshell, ACT consists of three steps (Eifer & Forsyth, 2005):
- Accept our thoughts and feelings, including the unwanted ones (anxiety, guilt, pain, sense of inadequacy), by ceasing to struggle with them and recognizing them for what they are – as our thoughts and feelings.
- Choose our directions in life by identifying and focusing on what really matters to us and what we truly value in life.
- Take action to realize our life goals by making a commitment to change what can be changed and to live a meaningful and engaged life.
- The ‘first wave’ behavior therapy began in the 1950s and focused on classical conditioning and operant learning. The ‘second wave’ emerged in the 1970s and focused on information processing; its classical form – cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) – is currently the dominant psychotherapeutic modality worldwide (Ost, 2008; Kahl, Winter, & Schweiger, 2012). The ‘third wave’ came about in the 1990s and it focuses on contextual and experiential change strategies (see further elaboration in the next section). ↵
