Therapy in the greater Gosford and Central Coast areas

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, more commonly called act (ACT), encourages us to accept what is beyond our control and to commit to actions that improve and enrich our lives. ACT explains the core of most problems using the FEAR acronym:

Fusion with your thoughts - taking our thoughts too literally, as if they’re FACTS, and then acting on the facts.
Evaluation of the experience - especially making judgements when observing will do.
Avoidance of your experience -  shying away from certain thoughts or feelings, even when we CAN manage them.
Reason-giving for your behaviour - justifying what you do and how you think, even when it clearly doesn’t work well for you.

The ACT alternative is:

Accept your reactions and choose to present, believing you can manage your feelings and thoughts despite the discomfort.

Decide what you value and how you want to live and CHOOSE a values-based direction.

Take action; align your actions with your values.

WHAT DOES ACT THERAPY LOOK LIKE IN PRACTICE?

Therapy will be based on three main techniques. These include:

Mindfulness: Mindfulness is about connecting with ourselves and appreciating the fullness of each moment of life.

Acceptance: Allowing feelings and memories to come and go without struggling to control or avoid them.

Commitment: Taking action guided by your values.

An ACT therapist will use metaphors and experimental exercises to help you make contact with the thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, and memories that you might have previously feared or avoided. We can help you recognise, reconceptualise, and ultimately accept all of your experiences. When the struggle to control, change or avoid feelings ceases, your values become clearer, and you’re more likely to commit to behaviour changes that will result in a better quality of life.

WHAT can ACT be EFFECTIVELY used to treat?

There is broad scientific support for the use of ACT for depression, anxiety, pain, substance abuse, relationship difficulties and stress.