5 Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Exercises to do with Clients

Posted by Tim Tarks on March 21st, 2023

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy that emphasizes mindfulness, acceptance, and values-based action. ACT is designed to help individuals develop psychological flexibility and learn to live a rich, meaningful life, even in the presence of difficult thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Here are some examples of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy activities that can be used in therapy:

1. Mindfulness exercises: ACT often incorporates mindfulness meditation practices to help individuals develop a non-judgmental awareness of their thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations. This can include exercises such as breathing exercises, body scans, and mindful eating.
2. Values clarification: ACT focuses on helping individuals identify their values and guiding principles. A therapist might use exercises like the Bull’s Eye exercise, which involves creating a “target” that represents one’s values and then prioritizing actions based on how closely they align with those values.
3. Committed action: ACT emphasizes taking action in line with one’s values, even in the face of difficult thoughts or emotions. Therapists might encourage individuals to set small, achievable goals that align with their values and help them move toward a more meaningful life.
4. Defusion exercises: ACT emphasizes the importance of separating oneself from difficult thoughts and emotions, rather than getting caught up in them. Defusion exercises might involve visualizing one’s thoughts as clouds passing by in the sky or repeating a difficult thought in a silly voice.
5. Acceptance exercises: ACT emphasizes the importance of accepting difficult thoughts and emotions, rather than trying to fight or control them. Therapists might use exercises like the leaves on a stream exercise, which involves visualizing difficult thoughts and emotions as leaves floating down a stream and letting them go. ACT PDF worksheets can help therapists.

Overall, ACT is a flexible and adaptable therapy that can be tailored to fit the individual needs of each client. Therapists might use a combination of the above exercises, as well as other techniques, to help clients develop greater psychological flexibility and live a more fulfilling life.