Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT, pronounced as the word “act”) is an evidence-based psychological therapy that takes a different angle to traditional approaches. Rather than focusing on reducing or eliminating difficult thoughts and feelings, ACT is built on the idea that struggling against them often makes things worse. Instead, it focuses on changing your relationship with those experiences and moving toward a life that reflects what genuinely matters to you.

The core of ACT is psychological flexibility: the ability to stay present, open to experience, and engaged in meaningful action even when things are hard. This does not mean accepting situations that should change, or being passive in the face of difficulty. It means not letting internal experiences (anxious thoughts, low mood, painful memories) dictate what you do with your life.

ACT draws on mindfulness principles alongside behavioural strategies and values clarification. It has a strong and growing evidence base, particularly for anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and stress-related presentations. ACT was developed by psychologist Steven Hayes in the 1980s and is part of what researchers call the “third wave” of cognitive behavioural therapies.

How ACT works

ACT organises psychological flexibility around six core processes. In practice, these are not worked through as a checklist. They weave together throughout therapy depending on what is most relevant for the individual.

• Acceptance: allowing difficult thoughts and feelings to be present without fighting them or giving them more power than they need. Acceptance is not resignation; it is making room.
• Defusion: creating distance from unhelpful thoughts rather than treating them as facts. Learning to notice a thought as just a thought, rather than something that must be acted on.
• Present moment: developing awareness of what is happening right now, with curiosity and openness rather than judgement. Grounded in mindfulness practice.
• Self as context: shifting perspective so that thoughts and feelings are things you have, not things you are. You are the observer of your experience, not defined by it.
• Values: clarifying what genuinely matters: not goals or outcomes, but the qualities you want to bring to your life and relationships. Values become a compass for action.
• Committed action: taking steps toward a values-consistent life, even in the presence of difficult thoughts and feelings. Building patterns of behaviour that serve what matters most.

In sessions at Zen Society, ACT is applied practically: through exercises, metaphors, and discussion that connect these principles to what is happening in your day-to-day life. It is collaborative and adapted to the individual, not delivered from a script.

What is ACT used for?

ACT has demonstrated effectiveness across a broad range of presentations. It is particularly well-suited to situations where avoidance, rigid thinking patterns, or disconnection from values are contributing to the difficulty.

• Anxiety and generalised worry
• Depression and low mood
• Chronic stress and burnout
• OCD and intrusive thoughts
• ADHD, particularly emotional regulation and self-criticism
• Chronic pain and health-related distress
• Grief, loss, and life transitions
• Low self-esteem and harsh self-judgement
• Trauma responses where avoidance is a central feature

Is ACT right for me?

ACT tends to resonate with people who have found that trying to control, suppress, or eliminate difficult thoughts and feelings has not worked, or has made things feel more exhausting. If you have tried other approaches and found yourself going around the same loop, ACT might offer a different angle.

It may be a good fit if you feel stuck in a cycle of fighting your own thoughts and feelings, you want to reconnect with what matters to you and act on it rather than waiting until you feel better first, or you are open to mindfulness-informed approaches.

It may not be the best fit if you are looking for a highly structured, goal-focused approach with concrete techniques and measurable outcomes. CBT may be a stronger fit in that case. ACT can feel more abstract initially, and some people take time to connect with its core ideas.

If you are unsure whether ACT is the right fit, the first step is a conversation. Your psychologist can help you work out which approach makes most sense for your situation.

ACT at Zen Society

ACT sits within the broader integrated approach at Zen Society. Rather than being used in isolation, it is typically woven into sessions alongside other evidence-based approaches depending on what is most useful for the individual at a given point in the work.

ACT is used across presentations at Zen Society, including anxiety, ADHD, burnout, and OCD. It is adapted to suit the individual, including for younger clients, where the principles are introduced through language and examples appropriate to their age and developmental stage.

ACT at Zen Society is offered by Dr Sophie Pitt, Clinical Psychologist (BBSc Hons, DocPsych Child, MAPS).

Frequently asked questions

Is ACT the same as mindfulness?

Not exactly. ACT draws on mindfulness principles, particularly present-moment awareness and non-judgement, but it goes beyond mindfulness practice on its own. The distinctive elements of ACT include values clarification and committed action: the idea that awareness is most useful when it is paired with movement toward a life that reflects what genuinely matters to you. You do not need a prior mindfulness practice or interest to engage with ACT.

Does ACT mean accepting everything and not trying to change things?

No, and this is the most common misunderstanding of ACT. Acceptance in ACT refers specifically to internal experiences: thoughts, feelings, memories, physical sensations. It does not mean accepting difficult circumstances or giving up on change. In fact, ACT is fundamentally about taking action: committed, values-based action. The distinction is between accepting what you cannot control (internal experience) and taking meaningful action on what you can.

How is ACT different from CBT?

Both ACT and CBT are evidence-based psychological therapies with overlapping roots. CBT focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thought patterns, examining whether thoughts are accurate and building more balanced interpretations. ACT takes a different angle: rather than changing the content of thoughts, it focuses on changing your relationship with them, creating distance, reducing their influence, and moving toward values regardless of what your mind is doing. Some people find one approach resonates more than the other. Many therapists integrate elements of both.

Can ACT be used with children and teenagers?

Yes. ACT has well-established adaptations for children and adolescents. For younger clients, the concepts are introduced through age-appropriate language, stories, and exercises rather than abstract discussion. Adolescents often connect strongly with the values component of ACT, the focus on what matters to them rather than on rules or adult expectations. Parental involvement is typically included when working with younger children.

Is ACT covered by Medicare?

Sessions with a Clinical Psychologist at Zen Society are eligible for a Medicare rebate under a valid Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) from your GP, for up to ten sessions per calendar year. If you do not have an MHCP, you can still access sessions as a private client. We recommend speaking with your GP if you would like to explore the Medicare rebate option before booking.