**ACT** (*Acceptance and Commitment Therapy*) is a therapeutic method developed by **Steven Hayes** and collaborators since the early 1980s. It is part of the so-called third-wave therapies—along with DBT (Linehan) and MBCT (Segal-Williams-Teasdale). It is empirically validated for depression, anxiety, trauma, chronic pain, addictions, and eating disorders.
**Central premise**: human suffering does not stem so much from painful internal experiences (thoughts, emotions, sensations) but from the **struggle against them**—trying to eliminate, control, or avoid them. This struggle consumes life and energy. The way out is to accept the presence of internal experiences and direct actions towards one's **values**, regardless of how we feel.
**Six core processes** (ACT hexaflex): acceptance · cognitive defusion (not fusing with thoughts) · contact with the present moment · self as context · values · committed action. Psychic health emerges from flexibility among these six processes.
**Important distinction from CBT**: classic CBT tries to change dysfunctional thoughts. ACT does not try to change them—it tries to change the **relationship** with them. Accepting that a painful thought is present without fighting against it, and still acting according to one's values, is the central skill of ACT.
**Application to trauma**: especially useful for clients with chronic trauma who compulsively try 'not to feel' or 'not to remember'. ACT teaches them that the way out is not to eliminate the emotions of trauma—which exist and will exist—but to stop fighting with them and build a meaningful life in their presence.
Evidence and Contemporary Voices
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has accumulated an extensive empirical base since its formalization by Steven C. Hayes in the 1980s. Recent meta-analyses confirm its efficacy in anxiety disorders, depression, and chronic pain, with moderate to large effect sizes (A-Tjak et al., 2015). Researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno, and the University of Barcelona have led randomized controlled trials (RCTs) demonstrating significant reductions in PTSD symptoms through core processes such as cognitive defusion and psychological flexibility (Hayes et al., 2012; Twohig & Levin, 2017). ACT is integrated into the framework of Contextual Behavioral Science, with over 1,000 peer-reviewed studies as of 2023, including applications in psychosis and addictions (Gloster et al., 2020). Institutions such as the VA National Center for PTSD have incorporated ACT into standard clinical protocols for veterans.
Verifiable Quotes
- "ACT promotes psychological flexibility through six core processes: acceptance, cognitive defusion, contact with the present, self as context, values, and committed action." — Steven C. Hayes, Kirk D. Strosahl, Kelly G. Wilson, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: The Process and Practice of Mindful Change (2012, p. 243).
- "Results show that ACT outperforms cognitive-behavioral therapy in reducing experiential avoidance." — Maria B. A-Tjak, Fieke A. J. Olthof, Michel H. J. Engelbrechts, A meta-analysis of the efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy for clinically relevant mental and physical health problems (2015).
Researchers and Experts
- Steven C. Hayes — University of Nevada, Reno — Founder of ACT and psychological flexibility theory
- Kirk D. Strosahl — Mountainview Consulting Group — Clinical development and ACT manuals
- Kelly G. Wilson — University of Mississippi — Research in ACT for depression and chronic pain
- Andrew T. Gloster — University of Zurich — Meta-analysis and transdiagnostic applications
Auditable Sources
Additional research generated with consultation of academic sources (Perplexity Sonar Pro). Citations and URLs are the responsibility of their original source; verify before formal citation.
Bibliography
- ACT — Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life — Steven Hayes and Spencer Smith. Sal Terrae, 2005.
These books are in the reference library that nourishes Constelando el Origen.
Related terms
RAIN Method (Tara Brach)
Tara Brach's acronym for working with difficult emotions: Recognize · Allow · Investigate · Nurture. A practical four-step emotional self-regulation tool.
See entryViktor Frankl
Austrian psychiatrist (1905-1997). Holocaust survivor. Creator of logotherapy. His work is an essential reference on psychic survival of extreme trauma and the search for meaning.
See entryLogotherapy (Frankl)
Therapeutic method founded by Viktor Frankl. Third Viennese school, after Freud and Adler. It addresses the search for meaning as a fundamental human motivation, especially in the face of inevitable suffering.
See entryA session that names what hurts
If you recognize this dynamic in your own story, a Family Constellation can reveal where it comes from and what movement can bring order to it. Daniela respectfully accompanies each case.
Sessions in Spanish only