🌿 Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

🌤️ Embracing What Is — and Choosing What Matters

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a mindfulness-based approach that helps people build a healthier relationship with their thoughts and emotions. Rather than trying to control or eliminate difficult feelings, ACT teaches you to accept them as part of the human experience — and commit to actions that align with your values.

At Mara’s Lighthouse, we use ACT to help clients move from emotional struggle to psychological flexibility — learning to live fully, even when life feels uncertain or painful.

💭 What Is ACT?

ACT (pronounced “act,” not A-C-T) is an evidence-based psychotherapy that encourages both acceptance and action. It’s rooted in behavioral science but grounded in compassion and presence.

The core idea is simple:

You don’t need to control your thoughts to control your life.

By practicing awareness and values-based living, you can make choices that reflect what truly matters — even when challenges arise.

ACT helps you:

  • Accept difficult thoughts and emotions without judgment

  • Observe your experiences rather than getting caught up in them

  • Identify what you value most

  • Take committed action guided by those values

🌱 The Six Core Processes of ACT

ACT is built around six interwoven skills that support psychological flexibility — the ability to stay open, aware, and responsive in the present moment.

1️⃣ Acceptance
Instead of resisting unpleasant thoughts or feelings, you learn to acknowledge them as natural and temporary.

2️⃣ Cognitive Defusion
You begin to see thoughts as just thoughts — words and images passing through the mind, not truths that define you.

3️⃣ Being Present
Grounding yourself in the here and now helps reduce anxiety about the future and regrets from the past.

4️⃣ Self-as-Context
You’re more than your experiences. ACT helps you connect with the observing self — the part of you that remains steady no matter what you feel or think.

5️⃣ Values
Together, we clarify what truly matters to you — your principles, passions, and priorities.

6️⃣ Committed Action
You’ll set realistic goals and take meaningful steps that reflect your values, even when discomfort shows up along the way.

💫 How ACT Helps

ACT can be used on its own or alongside other therapies like CBT, DBT, or medication management. It’s been shown to support:

  • Anxiety and depression

  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

  • Substance and alcohol use disorders

  • Eating disorders

  • Chronic illness and pain

  • Stress and burnout

  • Life transitions and self-esteem challenges

ACT is especially powerful for clients who feel “stuck” in their thoughts or emotions — helping them loosen their grip on control and rediscover their capacity for movement and growth.

🪞 What to Expect at Mara’s Lighthouse

Your ACT journey begins with gentle curiosity. In collaboration with your therapist, you’ll:

  • Explore your patterns of avoidance and self-judgment

  • Learn mindfulness and grounding techniques

  • Identify personal values and goals

  • Practice small, intentional actions aligned with those values

  • Reflect and refine your approach over time

Sessions typically take place weekly and last about 45–60 minutes. Progress unfolds through consistent practice and compassion, not perfection.

Our therapists also collaborate closely with our in-house prescriber when appropriate — ensuring your emotional and physical wellness are cared for holistically.

⚖️ Benefits of ACT

Clients often report that ACT helps them:

  • Feel more emotionally balanced and less reactive

  • Increase self-compassion and acceptance

  • Reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress

  • Gain clarity of purpose

  • Live with greater authenticity and fulfillment

ACT isn’t about avoiding pain — it’s about learning to carry it lightly so you can move forward toward what matters most.

💖 Live Fully, Here and Now

ACT invites you to make peace with your inner world so you can engage more fully with the world around you. You don’t have to wait until you feel “better” to begin living a meaningful life — you can start today.

Click below to schedule your ACT session and begin building your path toward acceptance, awareness, and purpose.

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