How ACT works, how it differs from CBT, and how it supports recovery.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a form of talking therapy within the broader CBT family. Rather than trying to eliminate difficult thoughts and feelings, ACT teaches people to accept them while committing to actions that reflect their personal values.
ACT proposes that fighting internal experiences often deepens distress, while making room for them frees up energy for what matters. It works through six core processes building “psychological flexibility”: acceptance, cognitive defusion, being present, self-as-context, values, and committed action.
Traditional CBT focuses on the content of thoughts — identifying and correcting unhelpful thinking. ACT shifts focus to a person’s relationship with thoughts, asking whether getting caught up in a thought is helpful, not whether it’s true. In short: CBT often changes the thought; ACT changes your relationship to it.
Substances often serve as a way to escape unwanted internal experiences — cravings, shame, painful memories. ACT helps people make room for these experiences without automatically acting on them, while clarifying values that give recovery a positive direction beyond simply stopping a behaviour.
Sessions explore what has and hasn’t helped, introduce present-moment practices for noticing thoughts, and clarify what truly matters to the person — becoming the basis for committed, specific steps between sessions, reviewed and built on over time.
Does ACT mean I have to accept my problems and give up on change?
No. Acceptance refers to how you relate to painful thoughts, not resigning to circumstances — ACT is strongly action-oriented toward meaningful change.
Is ACT a type of CBT?
Yes, generally considered part of the broader CBT family, sharing its practical approach while emphasising acceptance and values.
ACT may be drawn on within our individual psychotherapy work.
Last updated: July 2026. This article is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.