Acceptance and commitment therapy, or ACT, is a relatively new therapy that has been effective in treating many mental health concerns. The most comprehensive New Jersey addiction therapy programs, like BlueCrest Recovery, include acceptance and commitment therapy as part of a holistic approach to treatment for various problems.
From anxiety and chronic pain to depression and substance use disorders, many conditions can be successfully treated with ACT. If you or someone you know might benefit from an acceptance and commitment therapy program in New Jersey, reach out to BlueCrest Recovery at 888.292.9652 today.
What Is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?
An ACT program is based on the idea that people don’t have to control or change their feelings and thoughts.
It emphasizes that people can learn to accept those thoughts and feelings and focus on positive actions aligning with their beliefs. The main goal is to help clients learn to accept themselves as they are to enjoy a happy, meaningful life.
A comprehensive acceptance and commitment therapy program provides clients with the tools, support, and resources they need to be accepting of their own thoughts and experiences. ACT is based on the idea that mental flexibility is the key to being present in the moment and not dwelling on the past or anticipating the future.
Our ACT program in New Jersey helps clients learn that thoughts and feelings aren’t always accurate and that struggling to control those feelings can make clients feel worse. ACT teaches clients not to use mental resources to change feelings but to take actions that are valuable to them instead.
How Does Our Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Program in New Jersey Work?
ACT is a treatment modality that can be effective for individuals facing a variety of mental health concerns, but it can also help with other challenges in a person’s life.
The American Psychological Association supports ACT as a treatment for:
- Mixed anxiety disorders
- Chronic pain
- Depression
- Psychosis
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
This mindfulness-based therapy has also gained approval from the Department of Veterans Affairs as an evidence-based treatment for several mood disorders. Other challenges ACT can be used to assist with include problems with personal relationships, coping with stressors, and improving self-esteem.
ACT teaches clients that controlling or changing thoughts and feelings can be counterproductive. It’s a process-oriented therapy, which means that it doesn’t focus on fixing or changing the past but instead puts a heavy focus on living in the “now.”
This therapy enforces the idea that just because a person has a specific thought doesn’t necessarily mean that thought is true. It promotes the concept that having thoughts without believing them is possible.
Common ACT Techniques
Techniques used for ACT focus on reducing a client’s motivation to avoid certain triggers and situations. It’s based on six core processes, which include:
- Committed action (mindfulness)
- Self as context
- Defusion
- Acceptance
- Values
- Contact with the present moment
The idea is to increase mental flexibility to alleviate suffering by engaging in techniques built on these processes. Some of these techniques include:
- Anchor breathing to strengthen mindful grounding and reduce stress
- Cognitive defusion, or detaching from painful thoughts
- Observing anxiety mindfully
- Setting goals for ACT
- Practicing quieting anxiety-generating thoughts
- Clarifying personal values
Clients’ specific techniques will depend on their unique situations, struggles, and strengths. At the heart of it all, however, is the main idea that avoiding anxiety, triggers, and stressors actually intensifies them.
Break Free with an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Program at BlueCrest Recovery
Practicing mindfulness to pay attention to the present without judgment, taking steps to live in accordance with your values, and making choices consistent with those values are vital cornerstones of living well that are promoted and practiced through ACT.
At BlueCrest Recovery, our holistic approach involves evidence-based, individualized practices to help clients in New Jersey improve their quality of life. To learn how you or a loved one can benefit from ACT therapy, call 888.292.9652 to reach us at BlueCrest Recovery.
