We spend so much energy trying to get rid of anxiety, stop negative thinking, or fix our difficult emotions. But the harder we pull against these feelings, the more exhausted we become, and the further we move away from the life we actually want to lead.

If you feel like you’re waiting for your anxiety to disappear before you can start enjoying your life, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) offers a different path.

ACT isn’t about fixing what’s wrong with you. It’s about building psychological flexibility: the ability to be present with your difficult thoughts while still taking action toward what matters most to you.

What Makes ACT Therapy Different?

Most traditional therapies focus on changing the content of your thoughts (trying to make them more positive). ACT focuses on changing your relationship to those thoughts.

In our sessions at Defining Moments Counseling & Assessment Center, we use the six core pillars of ACT to help you:

• Cognitive Defusion: Learning to see thoughts as just "words" or "pictures" rather than absolute truths that control you.

• Acceptance: Making room for difficult feelings instead of wasting energy fighting them.

• Present Moment Awareness: Using mindfulness to stay grounded in the now rather than spiraling into the past or future.

• The Observing Self: Stepping back to see that you are much more than your current emotions or labels.

• Values Identification: Clarifying what truly gives your life meaning (e.g., connection, creativity, adventure).

• Committed Action: Taking concrete steps toward those values, even when things are hard.

Is ACT Right for You?

ACT is a highly effective, evidence-based approach for a variety of challenges, including:

• Chronic Anxiety & OCD: Learning to “drop the rope” in the struggle with intrusive thoughts.

• Depression: Reconnecting with life's meaning when you feel numb or stuck.

• Workplace Burnout: Navigating high-stress environments without losing your sense of self.

• Life Transitions: Finding your footing when your circumstances change unexpectedly.

• Chronic Pain Management: Changing how you relate to physical discomfort to improve your quality of life.

Frequently Asked Questions about ACT

Does "Acceptance" mean I have to like my pain? Not at all. Acceptance in ACT means acknowledging that a feeling is present so that it stops blocking your path. It’s about making room for the weather so you can still go where you need to go.

How is ACT different from CBT? While both are evidence-based, CBT often focuses on challenging and changing "irrational" thoughts. ACT suggests that trying to change thoughts can sometimes keep us stuck in them, so it focuses on distancing ourselves from them instead.

Do you offer online ACT therapy? Yes. We provide HIPAA-compliant video sessions for residents throughout California, making it easy to integrate values-based work into your daily routine.