ACCEPTANCE & COMMITMENT THERAPY
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) in Toronto, Thornhill, and Virtually Across Ontario
Sometimes you may spend a lot of energy trying not to feel anxious, pushing away difficult thoughts, avoiding something uncomfortable, or waiting until you feel completely ready before doing something that matters to you.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, does not expect you to get rid of every difficult thought or feeling. Instead, we can look at how you want to respond when those experiences show up.
You do not need to know whether ACT is the right approach before starting therapy. We can first understand what has been happening and decide together what might be useful.
In-person therapy in Toronto and Thornhill • Virtual therapy across Ontario
What Is Acceptance & Commitment Therapy?
ACT is a therapy approach that looks at how we respond to difficult thoughts, emotions, memories, and situations. Sometimes the things we do to avoid discomfort help in the short term but begin to limit us over time.
ACT does not ask you to like difficult feelings or pretend that painful experiences do not matter. Instead, we may practise making room for what is already present while deciding what you want to do next.
Part of the work also involves understanding what matters to you and whether the way you are responding is helping you stay connected to those things.
Acceptance Does Not Mean You Have to Like It
Acceptance does not mean liking something, approving of it, or deciding that nothing should change. In ACT, it simply means starting with what is already happening rather than having to fight with the fact that it is there.
You Do Not Have to Believe Everything Your Mind Tells You
Thoughts can feel very convincing, especially when they show up again and again. You might notice thoughts such as “I can’t handle this,” “I’m going to get it wrong,” or “I need to feel better before I can deal with this.”
ACT does not ask us to prove those thoughts wrong. Sometimes it can be more useful to notice that a thought is there without letting it automatically decide what you do next.
The thought may still show up. The goal is to have a little more choice in how you respond to it.
Noticing What Is Happening
Present-Moment Awareness
Paying attention to thoughts, emotions, and what is happening around you without immediately needing to change it.
Defusion
Noticing thoughts as thoughts rather than automatically treating every worry, prediction, or self-judgment as a fact.
Stepping Back From Thoughts
What We May Pay Attention to in ACT
ACT can involve several different parts of the work. We do not need to focus on all of them at once, and there is no particular order you have to follow.
These ideas are meant to support your life, not become another set of rules you have to follow perfectly.
Acceptance
Learning whether you can make room for some discomfort when avoiding it is starting to limit what you do.
Making Room for Difficult Feelings
Values & Action
Getting clearer about what matters to you and considering how you want to act when difficult thoughts or feelings show up.
Choosing What Matters
What Can ACT Look Like in Therapy?
ACT can look much like a regular therapy conversation. We may start with something that has been difficult lately and notice what thoughts or feelings tend to show up, how you usually respond, and what happens afterwards.
Sometimes I may ask whether a particular response is helping you do what matters to you or whether it is starting to get in the way. We might also practise noticing a thought differently, staying with an emotion for a little longer, or trying a small action even when some discomfort is still present.
This is not about pushing yourself through something that feels overwhelming. We can pay attention to what feels manageable and adjust as we go.
When Might ACT Be Considered?
ACT may be worth considering when you notice that a lot of your time or energy is going toward avoiding difficult thoughts, feelings, situations, or uncertainty.
Waiting to feel completely ready before doing something important
Trying very hard not to think or feel something
Avoiding situations because of the feelings they bring up
Feeling disconnected from what matters to you
Getting caught in worry or self-criticism
Knowing what you would like to do but feeling held back by fear or uncertainty
Feeling like worry or self-doubt is making decisions for you
Finding that avoiding something helps for a while but causes other problems later
Having one of these experiences does not automatically mean ACT is the right approach. We can first understand what has been happening and decide together whether ACT, another approach, or a combination may be useful.
Therapy Can Also Make Room for What Matters to You
WHAT MATTERS TO YOU
It makes sense to want anxiety, sadness, stress, or other difficult feelings to ease. At the same time, we can also pay attention to what you would like more room for in your life while those feelings are still present.
What matters will look different for every person. It may involve relationships, family, work, rest, creativity, connection, learning, or something else entirely. We can explore what matters to you without deciding what your priorities should be for you.
Sometimes the next step is small. It may simply be doing something a little differently even while some uncertainty or discomfort is still there.
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy FAQs
READY WHEN YOU ARE
Wondering Whether ACT Might Be a Good Fit?
You do not need to know whether ACT is the right approach before reaching out. A free 15-minute consultation gives us a chance to talk briefly about what you are looking for, answer any questions you have, and see whether working together feels like a good fit.
In-person therapy in Toronto and Thornhill • Virtual therapy across Ontario