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Therapy Types

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy

Moving toward what matters: even when things feel hard. ACT builds psychological flexibility, values clarity, and a new relationship with difficult thoughts.

Living a Meaningful Life, Even When It's Difficult

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is based on a different kind of question than most approaches. Rather than asking 'how do we get rid of this problem?' it asks: 'how do we help this person live well, even while the problem is present?'

ACT teaches children and teens to build a different relationship with their thoughts and feelings: not fighting them or trying to make them disappear, but learning to hold them more lightly so they don't get in the way of living.

Central to ACT is the concept of psychological flexibility: the ability to be present, open to experience, and engaged in actions that align with your values: even when that experience includes anxiety, self-doubt, or pain. It is a practical, skills-based approach that has strong research support for anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and a range of other challenges.

ACT is not about feeling better first and then living. It is about living well: moving toward what matters: even while the difficult feelings are still there.

How ACT Works

1
Defusion
Learning to step back from thoughts and see them as just thoughts: not facts, not commands. Creating distance so thoughts have less power over behaviour.
2
Acceptance
Making room for difficult feelings rather than fighting or avoiding them: recognizing that pain is part of life, and that struggling against it often makes it worse.
3
Values Clarification
Getting clear on what truly matters: what kind of person you want to be, what you want your life to be about so that behaviour is guided by meaning rather than just emotion.
4
Committed Action
Taking steps toward a valued life: setting goals, building habits, and moving forward even when fear, self-doubt, or discomfort show up along the way.
Who May Benefit
  • Teens with anxiety and avoidance patterns
  • Depression and low motivation
  • Perfectionism and fear of failure
  • Chronic worry or rumination
  • Low self-esteem and harsh self-criticism
  • Navigating identity and values (especially teens)
  • Anyone who feels stuck despite wanting to change

Coping Tools That Pair With Acceptance & Commitment Therapy

Therapy builds practical skills, not just insight. These are some of the tools Lianne teaches. Flip each card to see how it works and when it helps most.

🌬️

Paced Breathing

Slow your nervous system fast

How it works

Breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 2, out for 6. Repeat 4–5 times. The longer exhale signals safety to your body.

🧊

Grounding5-4-3-2-1

Anchor yourself to right now

How it works

Name 5 things you see, 4 to touch, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste. Pulls you out of worry and into the present.

🌡️

Feelings Check-In

Name it to tame it

How it works

Put a word to what you're feeling and where you feel it in your body. Labeling an emotion reduces its intensity.

🧩

Opposite Action

Act against the urge, shift the feeling

How it works

When an emotion pushes you toward something that makes things worse, do the opposite: reach out instead of withdrawing, soften instead of snapping.

💬

Self-Talk Reframe

Challenge the story, not just the feeling

How it works

Catch the thought behind the feeling. Ask: Is this true? Helpful? What would I say to a friend? Then try a more balanced version.

✦ Get Started

Start moving toward what matters

We offer a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation for new clients: a chance to connect, ask questions, and see if we're the right fit.

Secure booking via Jane App · 15 minutes · No obligation

FAQQuestions About Acceptance & Commitment Therapy
What is ACT therapy?

ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) helps people build psychological flexibility, the ability to feel difficult emotions without being controlled by them, and to take action based on what matters most to them. For children and teens, ACT is adapted to be engaging and values-focused.

How is ACT different from CBT for anxiety?

CBT focuses on changing anxious thoughts; ACT focuses on changing your relationship to those thoughts. Instead of trying to eliminate anxiety, ACT helps young people make room for it and still take courageous action.

At what age can children benefit from ACT?

ACT concepts can be introduced to children as young as 8–10 using metaphor, storytelling, and play. It is particularly well-suited to teens, who often respond well to its values-based, anti-judgment approach.

What kinds of problems does ACT help with?

ACT is effective for anxiety, depression, chronic pain, perfectionism, low self-esteem, and avoidance-related challenges. It's also used alongside other approaches in integrated treatment.