What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT?)
At Turning Tides Psychology, we offer Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for many different mental health difficulties. We also offer ACT to help people come to terms with difficult changes in their lives, for example a diagnosis of a long term health condition. ACT is a type of therapy that helps you to change your relationship with difficult thoughts and feelings, while also encouraging you to move forwards in the direction of your values and what is important to you.
ACT aims to increase acceptance of those things that are outside of your control, alongside supporting you to commit to action that will improve and enhance your wellbeing, leading to a more meaningful and fulfilling life.
What can ACT be used for?
ACT has been found to be an effective type of therapy for a range of different mental health difficulties, including:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Adjustment to chronic pain and long term health conditions
- OCD
- Psychosis
How does ACT work?
- Defusion: Defusion techniques and strategies help you to create distance between yourself and your thoughts, learning to not always see your thoughts as facts, and being able to let go of unhelpful thoughts that are standing in the way of you living towards your values.
- Acceptance: Encouraging you to open up and make room for difficult or painful thoughts and feelings, allowing them to come and go without engaging in a struggle to try and ‘get rid' of them.
- Contact with the present moment: Ensuring that you are able to engage fully with what is happening in the here-and-now, and using all of your senses to be fully present.
As well as teaching you some of these skills, your psychologist will also spend time focusing on your values; what is important to you and what kind of person you want to be. Getting in touch with your values can help you to see a way forwards and give you a positive, meaningful direction to move in.
What evidence is there that ACT is effective?
A recent review of the research suggests that ACT is an effective treatment for a variety of different mental health difficulties, including those listed above. It can also be used to improve general wellbeing, overall functioning and quality of life.
Contact Us Today
For a free 15-minute consultation with a psychologist complete the contact us form.
Fees
We have tried to keep our pricing as simple and straightforward as possible. We charge £120 for a 60 minute appointment, regardless of whether this is an assessment or therapy session. Our fees are the same for face-to-face appointments and online appointments as you will receive the same high standard of care from our psychologists, regardless of how it is delivered.
Why choose a psychologist?
All clinical psychologists are educated to doctoral level. This means as a minimum they have completed a degree in Psychology and a doctorate in Clinical Psychology. Their training spans a minimum of 6 years of education, although often psychologists have done further education and training than this.
Psychologists are trained to understand how the brain works and how this can contribute to common mental health problems. One of a psychologists core skill is developing an understanding of why you behave in a certain way and what is maintaining the problem. This is called a psychological formulation. Psychologists have the skills and training to work with a wide range of mental health difficulties from mild problems to the more complex presentations. Psychologists are trained in a wide range of evidence based talking therapies and can often blend these together where needed. Each formulation and treatment plan they develop is completely bespoke to your individual needs.
Is a psychologist the same as a counsellor?
No. Counsellors work with people who need a safe place to speak in order to manage their distress. They help the client to reflect on their situation to find their own answers. Counsellors are usually trained to Masters level and tend not to work with people who may have more complex mental health problems. If you are looking for more general support a counsellor may be a good option but if you require more intensive therapy a psychologist may be a better fit. It is important to research and choose a qualified professional who can provide the help you need.
