Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Navigating the path to recovery from addiction or trauma can be challenging, but understanding the right therapeutic approaches can make all the difference. You're looking for answers on how to manage the complex emotions that come with profound change, and we have the information you need to move forward with confidence.

What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)?

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a therapeutic approach that focuses on helping individuals accept their difficult thoughts and feelings while committing to actions that align with their personal values. It combines acceptance, mindfulness, and behavioral change to build psychological flexibility and empower a new sense of self.

We've only scratched the surface of what makes ACT a powerful tool for transformation. Keep reading to discover how embracing acceptance and committing to change can fundamentally reshape your mindset, routine, and worldview for a healthier future.

What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and how can it help in addiction or trauma recovery?

Recovery from addiction or trauma is a complicated affair, with several difficult and enigmatic emotions constantly swirling about. Regaining a sense of control while in an air of change is essential to address these feelings, with various unique approaches needed to do so.

Acceptance and commitment therapy is just one of these options available, and while each individual’s journey through recovery will be very personal, learning to embrace acceptance and commit to change is a core skill that is instrumental in developing a healthy approach to a transformed mindset, routine, and worldview.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: What Is ACT?

Much of what this therapeutic approach addresses in the name – acceptance and commitment. However, it explores these topics in a profound way to delve into an individual’s physical and emotional responses to stresses while processing negative thoughts and feelings that may be present at any point during one’s recovery journey.

Accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and circumstance is a difficult thing to do, and using this acceptance to commit to core decisions, grounding skills, and change is the hallmark of this particular approach.

Coupled with mindfulness practices that allow an individual to become more aware of their physical bodies, as well as emotional state and cognitive-behavioral approaches to understanding one’s reactions to stimuli and thoughts, acceptance and commitment therapy can be a great catalyst to a profound change in one’s mindset and self-image.

Accepting Acceptance

Acceptance can feel like an obtuse term to embrace and is much easier said than done. However, approaching acceptance in a few different ways can help each individual better understand the goals of acceptance in their lives.

Acceptance takes many forms. First, it means that an individual needs to accept their emotions, whatever they may be, as real and valid. Feelings like fear, anxiety, sadness, and anger can feel terrible, and it is common to try to push these feelings aside or cover them up with performative alternatives rather than confront these feelings outright.

However, avoiding these uncomfortable emotions also leaves them unprocessed and unresolved, making it possible that they continue to build in one’s mind until they find another, more dangerous outlet. Accepting the reality of one’s emotions can be a vulnerable but very freeing experience.

However, it is also important to approach acceptance through a lens of control. Accepting what an individual can control in any given situation, as well as what they cannot control, is an important part of the recovery process. Blame can be plentiful, but also illogical, and it is common that an individual may blame themselves for things they couldn’t have predicted or controlled, especially in cases of trauma.

Accepting that certain things are out of one’s control can help an individual focus on the elements they can solve in a current moment, the strategies they can employ, and the change they can make when dealing with stress, anxiety, or other hurdles throughout recovery.

Committing to Commitment

Likewise, commitment also has a few different dimensions to explore. Commitment to action in the moment of stress is the first step towards regaining agency during trying times. Accepting what an individual can control and committing oneself to a grounding strategy can provide a great deal of empowerment, eliminating feelings of doubt that may be present.

Committing the next minute to breathing techniques or calling a supportive person to enact an escape plan are all practices that can focus an individual on their grounding and coping strategies quickly and effectively.

Commitment also means committing oneself to recovery as a whole by embracing the idea that strategies may not work immediately and that one’s recovery is a journey that isn’t bound to play out in a straight path. There will be hurdles, trials, and stress, but committing oneself to recovery despite the difficult parts of recovery is a testament to one’s dedication to a healthier, transformed future.

Embracing a New Mentality

Acceptance and commitment therapy is about creating a new mindset around one’s needs and goals in recovery and seeing oneself in a fair light. It is a therapeutic approach that contextualizes one’s strengths and agency in life. Ideas like one’s strengths being more important than one’s vulnerabilities or accepting imperfections are championed in this new mentality. Accepting oneself, in addition to their thoughts, past, and sense of self-worth, are all part of this transformative experience.

Accepting one’s past is the catalyst to committing to one’s future, helping each individual distance themselves from the self-destructive behaviors of their previous identity, enabling them to instead construct a new identity in newfound sobriety.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What does "acceptance" mean in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?

In ACT, acceptance means acknowledging your emotions, thoughts, and circumstances as real and valid without trying to push them away. It also involves accepting what you can and cannot control in a given situation.

• How does ACT help with feelings like fear and anxiety?

ACT helps by encouraging you to confront and process uncomfortable emotions rather than avoiding them. By accepting these feelings, you prevent them from building up and potentially finding a more dangerous outlet.

• What is the role of mindfulness in ACT?

Mindfulness practices in ACT allow an individual to become more aware of their physical body, emotional state, and cognitive-behavioral reactions, which helps in processing negative thoughts and feelings.

• How does commitment work in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?

Commitment in ACT means committing to action in the moment of stress, such as using grounding strategies. It also involves committing to the recovery journey as a whole, even when facing hurdles and setbacks.

• How does ACT help you embrace a new mentality?

ACT helps you embrace a new mentality by teaching you to contextualize your strengths and agency. This new mindset champions the idea that your strengths are more important than your vulnerabilities and helps you accept imperfections, past, and self-worth to construct a new identity.

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We understand that the journey to recovery from addiction or trauma is deeply personal, and the ideas of acceptance and commitment can feel overwhelming to navigate alone. At Chateau Health and Wellness Treatment Center, we are dedicated to being your partners in this transformative process. Our expert team is here to help you apply these principles, building a personalized path that embraces your unique strengths and supports you through every challenge. We are ready to answer your questions and provide the compassionate care you deserve. Let our shared commitment to your well-being be the foundation for your new beginning. To take the first step, please call us today at (435) 222-5225.

About The Author

Ben Pearson, LCSW, Clinical Director

Ben Pearson, LCSW - Clinical Director

With 19 years of experience, Ben Pearson specializes in adolescent and family therapy, de-escalation, and high-risk interventions. As a former Clinical Director of an intensive outpatient program, he played a key role in clinical interventions and group therapy. With 15+ years in wilderness treatment and over a decade as a clinician, Ben has helped countless individuals and families navigate mental health and recovery challenges.

Danny Warner, CEO

Danny Warner, CEO of Chateau Health and Wellness

Brings a wealth of experience in business operations, strategic alliances, and turnaround management, with prior leadership roles at Mediconnect Global, Klever Marketing, and WO Investing, Inc. A graduate of Brigham Young University in Economics and History, Danny has a proven track record of delivering results across diverse industries. His most transformative role, however, was as a trail walker and counselor for troubled teens at the Anasazi Foundation, where he directly impacted young lives, a personal commitment to transformation that now drives his leadership at Chateau.

Austin Pederson, Executive Director

Austin Pederson, Executive Director of Chateau Health and Wellness

Brings over eight years of experience revolutionizing mental health and substance abuse treatment through compassionate care and innovative business strategies. Inspired by his own recovery journey, Austin has developed impactful programs tailored to individuals facing trauma and stress while fostering comprehensive support systems that prioritize holistic wellness. His empathetic leadership extends to educating and assisting families, ensuring lasting recovery for clients and their loved ones.