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Acceptance and commitment therapy
Pronounced said as the word "act"
Also known as ACT, Acceptance & commitment therapy
A therapy that teaches you to make room for painful thoughts and feelings instead of fighting them, and to act on what matters to you. NICE recommends it for long-term pain.
In Psychology
ACT belongs to the same family as but takes a different angle. Rather than arguing with whether a thought is true, it helps you see thoughts as passing mental events and stop letting them decide what you do.
Its aim is psychological flexibility: staying present with whatever you feel, while still moving towards what you value — family, faith, work, health. Acceptance here does not mean giving up; it means ending a tiring struggle with feelings you cannot simply switch off.
Where it is used
NICE recommends ACT or CBT for adults with chronic primary pain. It is also used for , and adjusting to long-term illness, where the fight against symptoms can become a burden of its own.
Where this comes up
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Related terms
- MindfulnessMindfulness meditation, MBCTPaying deliberate, non-judging attention to the present moment — breathing, body, surroundings, and thoughts as they come and go. It is a skill used in several therapies and for everyday stress.
- Cognitive behavioural therapyCBT, Cognitive behavioral therapyA structured, time-limited talking therapy that helps you notice and change the thoughts and behaviours that keep a problem going. It is a first-line treatment for depression and most anxiety problems.
- AvoidanceAvoidance behaviour, AvoidingStaying away from situations, places, people or feelings that cause fear or distress. It brings quick relief but, over time, keeps anxiety going and can make life smaller.
- RuminationOverthinking, BroodingGoing over the same upsetting thoughts again and again — why something happened, what it means, what is wrong with you — without reaching a solution. It deepens low mood.