ACT: changing your relationship with difficult thoughts, not fighting them.

Specialist CBT therapy for anxiety, OCD, depression and more in West London

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, often shortened to ACT, is an approach that may be discussed when difficult thoughts, feelings, uncertainty or bodily sensations are taking up a great deal of space in someone’s life. ACT informed ideas can consider how a person relates to these experiences and what they want their life to stand for alongside them. A webpage cannot determine whether ACT is appropriate, establish the cause of distress or predict the outcome of therapy for an individual. An assessment is where the discussion becomes personal. It can explore what is happening now, the impact on work, relationships and daily routines, relevant health information, safety, personal history and the priorities that matter to the person seeking support. The assessment is not an instruction to accept an unsafe situation or to tolerate everything without question. It is a conversation about possible ways of understanding what is difficult and deciding what support may be relevant. The acceptance in ACT can be misunderstood. It does not mean approving of painful events, giving up on change or forcing a person to feel calm. It can involve noticing that efforts to control an internal experience have become exhausting, while considering a different response that makes room for the experience and returns attention to the next meaningful action. Whether that is useful depends on a person’s circumstances and should be discussed collaboratively. ACT informed work may include noticing how thoughts show up, exploring patterns of avoidance, clarifying values and considering small actions that are consistent with those values. For one person, a value may concern connection, care, creativity or work. For another, it may involve rest, honesty or protecting important boundaries. Values are not targets imposed by a therapist. They are explored in the language and context of the individual. Some people find it helpful to use a metaphor, an observation exercise or a mindfulness based practice. Others prefer ordinary conversation and a practical focus on routines and choices. A clinician may discuss these options, but a webpage cannot prescribe an exercise, decide its pace or tell someone that they should stop trying to change a difficult situation. Any reflection or between session activity should be agreed in a way that considers capacity, safety, physical health and the demands of daily life. ACT can sit alongside other CBT informed ideas where appropriate. The focus, language and sequence of therapy are not fixed in advance. They can be reviewed as a shared understanding develops. If a particular idea feels confusing, unhelpful or too difficult, that is useful information for the conversation. It is not evidence that the person has failed at acceptance, commitment or therapy. Research and clinical guidance can inform a discussion of ACT, but findings from groups of people cannot identify the best approach, duration or likely outcome for one individual. Sanah Younis is a BABCP accredited CBT therapist. Her role is to offer professional training and a collaborative assessment, while the person seeking support remains the expert on their experience, context and priorities. The Lyceum Clinic offers online appointments and face to face arrangements that can be discussed in Chiswick, Ealing and the Richmond venue. Published fees are £110 for an online CBT session and £140 for a face to face CBT session. An initial conversation can be used to ask practical questions, check current availability and decide whether a fuller assessment would be useful. It does not commit you to ACT, a fixed duration or a particular outcome. If you are in immediate danger or need urgent support, use an appropriate emergency or urgent service rather than relying on an approach page. This information is intended to support a considered conversation about ACT informed ideas. It is not a diagnosis, a personal treatment recommendation or a substitute for individual assessment.