A new wave of well researched and effective therapies has
emerged in recent years. Examples include Eye Movement
Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), Emotional Freedom Technique
(EFT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and
Commitment Therapy (ACT), and others. This article will focus on
the process and benefits of ACT, which primarily provides tools
that can be applied to everyday life, with or without the help
of an ACT therapist. The primary goal of Acceptance and
Commitment Therapy, according to Dr. Russell Harris, is the
attainment of “psychological flexibility.” This refers to an
ability to be open to the present moment, a perhaps deceptively
simple yet powerful concept. When we are psychologically
flexible, we are able to feel and to observe what shows up in
our lives, without clinging to it too tightly. If much our
suffering results from how we respond to sadness, a depressed
mood, anxiety or anger, then ACT provides the tools necessary to
not worsen the situation by reacting to it or figh