Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Miami, FL

Do you struggle with or continue to experience negative or unwanted thoughts? Sometimes in life, and in therapy, we may reach a point where it feels like we are trying so hard to get better and find happiness. Yet, despite all our efforts, we still don’t feel it. It’s as though we get trapped in this continuous loop of pursuing happiness as we continue to suffer from unwanted thoughts and feelings. And we feel empty or as though we’re missing the “secret to happiness.” Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a specific psychotherapy technique that involves increasing our psychological flexibility. As well as our understanding of how our own thoughts and feelings keep us from living a completely authentic and fulfilling lifestyle.

In other psychotherapy techniques, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), we try to reduce the number or severity of our negative or unwanted thoughts and feelings. In ACT therapy, however, we are not trying to do this. Instead, we are trying to reduce the struggle we experience of needing to control or eliminate our negative and unwanted thoughts and feelings. We are trying to accept that we experience them and are not trying to change them. And in turn, we are also trying to increase the number of meaningful activities we engage in that help us live a fulfilling life. Through acceptance and commitment therapy, we try to implement behavior change through acceptance and mindfulness strategies. To do this, ACT therapy is composed of 6 core components:

Acceptance

Often when we think about or experience unwanted thoughts and behaviors, our first initial reaction is to avoid or question why we continue to have these negative thoughts and behaviors. The acceptance stage is learning to welcome, allow, and acknowledge that we are experiencing these negative and unwanted thoughts or behaviors. At this stage, we are not trying to change anything. We are simply accepting their existence.

Defusion

When we have unwanted or negative thoughts and feelings, we tend to give these thoughts heavy weight and become attached to their “deeper meaning.” We might think that because we are even thinking these thoughts, then it must mean that these thoughts can be a combination of being important, true, wise, threatening, orders, and reality. Defusion involves techniques and strategies that help us detach ourselves from our thoughts and recognize them for what they are. They are simply just thoughts!

The 6 Core Components of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Contact with the Present Moment (Being Present)

Remember in the Acceptance stage that one of our initial reactions to negative and unwanted thoughts is to avoid them? When this happens, we often escape the present moment because we are trying hard to escape what we’re feeling now. This stage of ACT therapy teaches us to be present with the uncomfortability we’re facing. Remember that in depression, we’re often stuck in the past or regret the past. While in anxiety, we’re afraid of what our futures hold. Being present allows us to be mindful of what is happening now and allows us to let go of our regret from the past and fear of the future.

Observing Self (Self as Context)

This stage of acceptance and commitment therapy helps us to unpack the idea that our thoughts or feelings define who we are. For example, we may experience intrusive thoughts and begin to think these thoughts must be what we really value or want. Our thoughts, emotions, and values, however, aren’t set in stone and are liable to change.

Values

We develop our value system beginning at a young age through many ways such as the experiences we have, our cultural or generational upbringing, societal influence, religious affiliation or non-affiliation, and many more. Often, we may forget or not engage in our values due to specific fears and anxieties we may have because of our negative or unwanted thoughts and feelings. This stage of ACT therapy further helps us identify our values – and how these values may be the same or different from when we were younger – and begin to lead a more values-driven lifestyle.

Committed Action

Committed Action involves taking the values we learned from the previous stage and applying these values to specific, intentional, and beneficial behavior changes through exercises and gradual exposure techniques. Typically, we are working to face the specific things we have previously tried to avoid due to our fears or anxieties. This process of acceptance and commitment therapy helps us become less fearful of being able to make choices based on our values and follow through with minimal interference from our negative or unwanted thoughts and feelings.

ACT is often used to treat a variety of physical and mental health challenges such as:

Stress management
Life transitions or challenges
Anxiety
Depression
Substance Use
Phobias and/or irrational fears

If you’re struggling with negative and unwanted thoughts and feelings and are wanting to live a more authentic and fulfilling lifestyle, contact Miami Vibes Counseling Center to begin Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT therapy) with one of our trained ACT therapists!

What Challenges is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Beneficial to Treat?

At Miami Vibes Counseling Center we want to help you live authentically to have a fulfilling life. Out ACT therapists will help you address the negative thoughts and beliefs that are holding you back. Get started with the 6 components of acceptance and commitment therapy by following these simple steps:

Reach out and speak to a staff member at MVCC
Schedule your first ACT therapy appointment
Start living in the present and say goodbye to negative and unwanted

Other Therapy Services We Offer in Miami, FL

Acceptance and commitment therapy is not the only counseling technique that we offer at Miami, FL-based counseling space. We also offer CBT, TFCBT, play therapy, and Brainspotting. Our dedicated Miami therapists use these techniques to address several different challenges. Such as PTSD, trauma, anxiety, depression, spirituality, and stress. We utilize them in individual therapy, children’s therapy, couples therapy, family therapy, parent support, and more! All of these are offered in-person or through online therapy in Florida.