Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can help you:
Embrace the Present Moment
Clarify and Align With Your Values
Take Meaningful and Committed Action
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) at Within Therapy Solutions
We understand that life can be full of challenges.
Whether you're struggling with stress, facing a tough life transition, or feeling stuck in old patterns, it can be hard to know where to begin. You might feel overwhelmed by your thoughts or emotions, unsure of how to move forward.
If you're ready to make meaningful changes in your life, we’re here to help. At Within Therapy Solutions, we provide a compassionate and practical approach to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, creating a supportive space where you can develop mindfulness, gain clarity on your values, and take meaningful action toward the life you want.
Our goal is to help you navigate difficult emotions with greater flexibility and self-compassion, so you can move forward with purpose and resilience. We’re here to support your journey toward lasting change and fulfillment.
What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)?
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a form of therapy that blends cognitive-behavioral techniques with mindfulness and acceptance strategies.
ACT helps people accept their thoughts and feelings instead of trying to control them. It teaches you how to observe your feelings with compassion and how to make choices based on your values, even if you feel uncomfortable or scared.
ACT helps you develop psychological flexibility, which means being able to respond to life’s challenges in a healthy way.
Instead of avoiding difficult emotions, ACT encourages you to accept them and keep moving toward what truly matters to you. By focusing on your values, you can make decisions that lead to a more fulfilling and meaningful life, even when facing difficult emotions.
This approach also helps you break free from the patterns of thought and behavior that may be keeping you stuck.
It teaches you how to become more aware of your internal experiences without being overwhelmed by them. By learning to detach from unhelpful thoughts and emotions, you can focus on taking meaningful actions that align with your goals, even when things feel tough.
ACT is not about avoiding discomfort, but about learning how to live with it in a way that doesn't stop you from living your best life.
It helps you develop the strength and resilience to face life's difficulties while staying true to what matters most to you. By practicing acceptance and commitment, you can create lasting changes that lead to a more authentic, fulfilling life.
How ACT Can Help
ACT can help with many different issues by teaching you to accept difficult emotions and focus on what’s important to you. It helps you break free from unhelpful thought patterns and emotional struggles by encouraging you to engage with life in a more mindful and purposeful way.
Rather than trying to control or eliminate uncomfortable feelings, ACT teaches you how to live alongside them while still moving toward your values and goals. Through ACT, you gain practical tools to build resilience, strengthen your emotional well-being, and develop a healthier mindset, no matter what challenges you’re facing.
ACT can help with:
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Anxiety: ACT teaches you to accept anxious thoughts and feelings without letting them control your actions. It helps you focus on what matters most and take meaningful steps, even in the presence of fear or worry.
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Depression: ACT helps you understand the roots of your depression and teaches you how to make choices that align with your values, even when you're feeling down. It helps you develop self-compassion and take positive actions that promote emotional well-being.
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Stress: ACT offers practical tools to manage stress by teaching mindfulness and acceptance skills. It helps you become more aware of stressors and gives you the ability to respond in a calm and balanced way.
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Trauma: ACT supports you in processing and accepting painful memories and emotions. It helps you shift your focus from avoiding trauma-related thoughts to living a life that’s consistent with your values, fostering healing and growth.
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Chronic pain: ACT helps you manage chronic pain by teaching you to accept and work with the discomfort, rather than fight against it. It focuses on helping you live a full life despite pain, by engaging with activities and goals that matter to you.
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Relationship problems: ACT can help improve your relationships by teaching you how to manage difficult emotions, communicate more effectively, and make decisions that are aligned with your values and needs. It empowers you to build healthier, more fulfilling connections with others.
What To Expect From An ACT Session
ACT is a collaborative process where you and your therapist work together to reach your personal goals.
This means that you're an active participant in your therapy, and your therapist is there to guide and support you along the way.
In sessions, you’ll likely practice mindfulness exercises.
These exercises are designed to help you stay present and become more aware of your thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations. This awareness allows you to respond to situations with more clarity and less automatic reaction.
You’ll also learn how to recognize and separate from unhelpful thoughts that may be holding you back, such as self-doubt or fear.
This helps you focus on what really matters to you—your values—and make choices that align with those values.
Throughout therapy, you and your ACT therapist will work together to set clear goals based on what's important to you.
These goals will give you a sense of direction and purpose. But, sometimes, fear or discomfort may arise when you start to take steps toward these goals. In those moments, ACT helps you acknowledge those feelings without letting them stop you.
You’ll learn to keep moving forward, even when it feels hard, by acting in ways that are true to who you are and what you want.
This process helps you build a life that feels meaningful and authentic, one that is aligned with your values and your true self. With your therapist’s support, you’ll develop the resilience to face challenges and continue pursuing what matters most, no matter what obstacles come your way.
Meet our ACT therapist serving Fair Oaks & Greater Sacramento
FAQ's About ACT
LEARNING MORE ABOUT ACT
Building Psychological Flexibility: The Core of ACT
At the heart of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is the concept of psychological flexibility. This term refers to the ability to adapt to changing circumstances and difficult emotions, while still moving forward in a way that is consistent with your values. In other words, psychological flexibility helps you deal with life’s ups and downs without being stuck by your emotions or thoughts.
When we encounter challenges - whether it's stress from work, difficulty in relationships, or personal struggles with health - it’s easy to get caught up in trying to change our feelings, avoid discomfort, or overthink things. But these efforts can often make things worse. We may try to push uncomfortable emotions away, but this can cause them to grow stronger. Alternatively, we may give in to fear or negative thinking, leading to a cycle of avoidance and inaction.
ACT teaches you to work with your emotions instead of against them. One of the core goals of ACT is to help you notice your thoughts and feelings without being overwhelmed or controlled by them. You don’t have to change or eliminate difficult emotions; instead, you can learn how to be present with them, allowing them to come and go naturally. Over time, this helps you become more resilient and less reactive to life’s challenges.
How ACT Builds Psychological Flexibility
Psychological flexibility involves six key processes that ACT emphasizes: - Cognitive Defusion: Often, we become “fused” with our thoughts, believing that they define who we are or must be true. For example, if you have the thought “I’m a failure,” you may start to believe that this thought defines your entire identity. ACT helps you "defuse" from these unhelpful thoughts by teaching you how to separate yourself from them. Instead of seeing thoughts as facts, you’ll learn to notice them without judgment. This gives you the space to act in ways that align with your values, rather than letting your thoughts dictate your actions. - Acceptance: In ACT, acceptance doesn’t mean simply tolerating pain, but rather embracing it fully without trying to avoid or fight it. For example, when you're feeling anxious, instead of battling the feeling, ACT teaches you to let the anxiety be present without letting it control your actions. Accepting your emotions can make them less powerful and allow you to live with greater freedom. - Present Moment Awareness: Mindfulness is a cornerstone of ACT, helping you stay in the present rather than worrying about the past or future. When you’re fully aware of the present moment, you can respond more thoughtfully to challenges instead of reacting based on automatic habits. Through mindfulness exercises, ACT helps you focus on what’s happening right now, rather than being consumed by thoughts of what could happen or what has already occurred. - Self-as-Context: Often, we define ourselves by our thoughts and feelings, leading us to feel trapped in negative cycles. ACT encourages you to develop a new sense of self by teaching you to view yourself from a broader perspective. Instead of identifying with your thoughts or emotions, you learn to see them as temporary experiences. This helps you become more flexible and open, as you're not defined by any single thought or feeling. - Values Clarification: One of the key aspects of ACT is gaining clarity about what truly matters to you. ACT helps you identify your values, which are the things that give your life meaning, such as relationships, creativity, or personal growth. When you know your values, you can make decisions that align with what you care about, instead of being driven by fear, pain, or discomfort. Living a values-driven life leads to greater satisfaction, even in the face of adversity. - Committed Action: Committed action refers to taking practical steps toward your values, even when fear, discomfort, or doubts arise. ACT encourages you to take actions that are aligned with your long-term goals, instead of reacting impulsively to immediate emotions or pressures. It’s about making consistent progress, even when it feels challenging. By breaking down larger goals into smaller, manageable steps, you can maintain forward momentum, regardless of any difficulties you encounter.
The Benefits of Psychological Flexibility
The beauty of building psychological flexibility through ACT is that it offers long-term benefits that extend to all areas of life. Here’s how developing psychological flexibility can improve your life: - Increased Resilience: Life is full of ups and downs, but psychological flexibility allows you to navigate these changes without becoming overwhelmed. You’ll be better equipped to handle setbacks and challenges, knowing that you can respond in healthy ways. - Improved Relationships: When you stop avoiding difficult emotions, you’re more able to show up authentically in relationships. You can also be more compassionate towards others, recognizing that everyone has their own struggles. - More Control: While you can’t control every aspect of your life, psychological flexibility gives you more control over how you respond to situations. You’ll find that you have more power over your choices and actions, even in tough circumstances. - A More Meaningful Life: When you focus on your values, you make choices that align with what truly matters to you. This leads to greater satisfaction and a sense of fulfillment. Instead of getting bogged down by fear or stress, you can focus on living a life that reflects your true self.
Moving Forward with ACT
By developing psychological flexibility, ACT helps you take control of your life, even when life feels overwhelming. It’s not about eliminating discomfort, but about giving you the tools to face challenges with confidence, resilience, and clarity. Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, depression, stress, or any other challenge, ACT provides a roadmap for making meaningful progress toward a life that’s rich with purpose and value.
Ultimately, the skills learned through ACT aren’t just for managing emotional pain—they’re tools for creating a life that feels more authentic, joyful, and connected. The journey toward greater psychological flexibility starts with understanding that discomfort is a natural part of life, and learning how to embrace it, rather than fight it, is the first step toward greater freedom.
Discover the freedom to thrive.
ACT is a mindfulness based therapy that provides practical tools and strategies to help you build resilience and clarity. It empowers you to approach life’s challenges with greater courage and authenticity. Through ACT, you learn how to accept difficult emotions without letting them control your actions.
Instead of avoiding discomfort, you are taught to face it head-on, using mindfulness to stay grounded in the present moment. This allows you to respond to life’s ups and downs with flexibility and strength, helping you stay aligned with your values.
ACT also helps you gain clarity on what truly matters to you. By focusing on your values, you can make intentional choices that lead to a life of purpose and meaning. Whether you are navigating stress, anxiety, or difficult emotions, ACT teaches you how to take steps that move you closer to the life you want to live.
It’s not about eliminating discomfort, but about learning how to move forward despite it, creating a life filled with greater freedom, vitality, and joy. Taking the next step towards ACT therapy is about giving yourself the opportunity to live a life that reflects your true self and your deepest aspirations.
WELLNESS IS OUR PASSION
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