Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in Chicago & Northbrook IL
ACT proposes that a significant source of human suffering is not the presence of painful thoughts, emotions, or memories, but the struggle to control or avoid them. Anxiety, sadness, shame, self-doubt: these are part of being human. The more energy directed toward suppressing or escaping these experiences, the more constricted life becomes. ACT offers an alternative: develop a more flexible relationship with difficult inner experiences, hold them without being controlled by them, and direct energy toward what genuinely matters.
- Acceptance: Willingness to have difficult thoughts and feelings without unnecessary struggle. This is not resignation or approval. It is the recognition that fighting what cannot be controlled comes at a cost.
- Cognitive Defusion: Creating distance from thoughts by recognizing them as mental events rather than literal truths. The mind says you will fail. ACT helps you notice that your mind is producing that thought, which is a different relationship to it than believing it.
- Present-Moment Awareness: Engaging with actual current experience rather than being pulled into mental narrative about the past or future.
- The Observing Self: Accessing a stable perspective from which you can observe your own thoughts and feelings without being defined by them.
- Values Clarification: Identifying what genuinely matters to you, not what should matter or what would earn approval, but what gives your life direction and meaning when you are honest with yourself.
- Committed Action: Taking concrete steps that move toward those values, even in the presence of fear, discomfort, or an unhelpful mind.
– Danielle Doucette, PsyD, Midwest Counseling & Diagnostics
- Anxiety and chronic worry
- Depression and low mood
- Chronic pain and illness
- OCD, often integrated with ERP
- Grief and existential distress
- Substance use and addiction
- Eating disorders
- Work stress and burnout
- Relationship difficulties
- A pervasive sense of being stuck or living at a distance from what matters
The goal in ACT is not to feel good all the time. It is to build a life that is meaningful and workable, with room for the full range of human experience, including the hard parts.
ACT integrates well alongside other approaches and is frequently woven into our clinicians’ work at Midwest Counseling even when another modality serves as the primary framework.
What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in simple terms?
ACT is a form of psychotherapy that teaches people to accept difficult thoughts and feelings rather than fighting or avoiding them, while clarifying what matters most to them and taking steps toward living in line with those values. The goal is not symptom elimination but psychological flexibility: the ability to engage with the full range of human experience without being controlled by it.
Is ACT evidence-based?
Yes. ACT has a strong and broad evidence base with hundreds of randomized controlled trials supporting its effectiveness across anxiety disorders, depression, chronic pain, OCD, substance use, eating disorders, and workplace stress, among other areas. It is recognized by the American Psychological Association as an empirically supported treatment.
What is the difference between ACT and CBT?
Traditional CBT focuses on identifying and modifying unhelpful thought patterns, operating from the premise that changing thoughts leads to changes in feelings and behavior. ACT shifts the focus from the content of thoughts to the relationship a person has with their thoughts, emphasizing acceptance and defusion rather than cognitive restructuring. Both are evidence-based, and many therapists integrate elements of both depending on what a person needs.
What does psychological flexibility mean in ACT?
Psychological flexibility refers to the capacity to be present with one’s experience, including difficult thoughts and feelings, without excessive avoidance or rigidity, while taking actions guided by personal values rather than short-term avoidance of discomfort. It is the core outcome that ACT is designed to cultivate.
Can ACT be done via telehealth?
Yes. ACT is well-suited to telehealth delivery. The core elements of ACT, including values clarification, defusion exercises, and mindfulness practices, do not require in-person presence. Research supports the effectiveness of ACT delivered remotely. Midwest Counseling offers ACT via telehealth across Illinois and many other states.
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