5 Benefits of ACT Therapy!

ACT Therapy Benefits

You may have heard of ACT Therapy recently, thanks to how it has been popularized in television and in movies. If you live in Chicago, particularly in the Lakeview or Lincoln Park area, you’ve probably seen something about ACT when an episode of Chicago PD featured this form of counseling.

If you want to learn about the ins and outs of ACT, be sure to read our counseling page dedicated to this topic. ACT is the acronym for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Conceptualized in 1986 by Steven Hayes, this approach to counseling is widely taught by Dr. Russ Harris.

Best of ACT

When you work with an ACT therapist, you experience a multitude of benefits. While we can’t list all of them on this page, we can highlight six big ones. Are you ready? Check it out:

1. Interaction

If you want to work with a therapist who is communicative and interactive, you’ll love working with an ACT-trained counselor. That’s because the interaction is a major part of the therapy dynamic.

2. Goal Setting

Another benefit of ACT-focused therapy is the ability to set goals. Working in concert with your counselor, you decide what goals are important to you. Once identified, you create a plan of action. Don’t worry, there’s room to adjust if need be. You aren’t locked in.  

3. Accountability

One of the most attractive things about ACT therapy is the accountability factor. That’s because this style of counseling contains a commitment aspect. In fact, it’s what makes up the “T” in ACT. If you want a partner to hold you to what you’ve committed to, ACT is fantastic.

4. Volume Lowering

Do you struggle with issues from your past? Is emotional regulation a struggle for you? If so, ACT may be a good fit! The reason is simple: ACT helps you to lower the volume on things from your past that may be holding you back. Mindfulness, as in living in the here and now, are huge component.

5. Skill Building

The final benefit of experiencing ACT therapy is skill-building. As part of counseling, you’ll be introduced to new concepts that – over time – translate into skills. Think of new coping strategies that are designed to move you to a place of change.

Summary

When you think of ACT, think about transformation. At its core, this form of therapy helps you to regulate emotional control and gain distance from things in life that disturb you. Many people who have experienced trauma find ACT to be extremely helpful.

Launched in 2015, the anxiety therapist Chicago website was designed to be Chicago’s long-term anxiety resource. If you are interested in therapy, be sure to click on our contact form.