ACT BASICS
This therapy focuses on accepting thoughts and feelings instead of fighting them.
What is Acceptance & Commitment Therapy?
Seeing thoughts as words or images, not facts.
What is defusion?
Letting emotions exist without trying to push them away.
What is acceptance?
Describe how you want to live, not what you want to get.
What is Values?
Noticing thoughts, feelings, and sensations in the present moment.
What is mindfulness?
ACT’s main goal is to help people live a meaningful life, even with discomfort.
What is psychological flexibility?
Adding this phrase before a thought can reduce its power: “I’m having the thought that…”
What is cognitive distancing?
The opposite of acceptance—trying to avoid or escape uncomfortable feelings.
What is avoidance?
“Get an A in math,” while values are ongoing.
What is a goal?
The part of you that notices experiences but doesn’t change.
What is the observing self?
ACT teaches that pain is part of life, but suffering increases when we fight it.
What is experiential avoidance?
Singing a negative thought to a silly tune to make it less powerful.
What is a defusion exercise?
Allowing anxiety to be present while still going to school or group.
What is willingness?
Being kind, honest, or brave are examples of this.
What are values?
ACT calls this the “you” that is bigger than thoughts and emotions.
What is self-as-context?
ACT is based on mindfulness and behavior change strategies.
What are mindfulness-based therapies?
ACT believes thoughts don’t control behavior—this does.
What is choice?
ACT says emotions are like this natural event—you can’t stop them, only respond.
What are waves (or weather)?
This is taking effective action that is guided by our values.
What is committed action?
Bringing attention back when the mind wanders.
What is present-moment awareness?
ACT focuses more on changing how we relate to thoughts, not changing the thoughts themselves.
What is cognitive defusion?
This happens when we believe every thought our mind produces.
What is cognitive fusion?
This increases when we struggle against emotions instead of allowing them.
What is suffering?
ACT says values should guide actions, not emotions.
What is values-based living?
ACT teaches you are not your thoughts—you are this.
What is the observer?