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Reviewed by 
Dr Sheri Jacobson
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is from the cognitive behavioural school of thought, and is a psychotherapy that can be offered either short or long-term depending on individual goals and progress.
ACT therapy focuses on helping you to be psychologically 'flexible', meaning you learn to recognise and accept what you can’t control, and to commit to taking actions over what you can. The end result is a more meaningful, happier life.
ACT therapy can be used to treat depression and anxiety disorders and is considered to be a highly effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), helping individuals to accept what they experience rather than attempting to change the feelings that occur because of it.
ACT is effective for a wide range of issues and particularly useful for:
Harley Therapy connects you with the most passionate and qualified counsellors and has done so since 2006. Each ACT therapist is fully accredited by a reputable British association and brings at least ten years of professional experience to their practice.
Appointments are available on weekdays, weekday evenings, and on Saturdays in London at our clinic on Harley Street and near London Bridge as well as online.
Whether looking for a face-to-face session in central London or an online appointment, the booking process options are the same. Therapy sessions last 50 minutes.
Take the first step toward acceptance and happiness. Get in touch with our support team to discuss all therapy options.
To make an enquiry, please fill in this confidential form. Our dedicated medical administrators will review your needs and get back to you as soon as possible.
Therapists each have 10 to 40 years of experience, are accredited and insured to practice privately.
Therapists meet our rigorous selection criteria and highly skilled to ensure you receive the best service.
Not satisfied with your first consultation? Try a meeting with another therapist free of charge.
A critical assumption of ACT is that pain and suffering are a normal and unavoidable part of human experience, and that it is actually our attempts to control and avoid these experiences that is at the root of any long-term suffering. When we learn how to accept what comes in life, without evaluating and judging our experiences, we are then free to 'act'.
ACT is highly adaptable. Some people benefit from brief interventions (4–8 sessions), especially in settings like healthcare or workplaces. Others may need 8–20 sessions for issues like anxiety, trauma, or depression. For more complex or long-standing difficulties, ACT can be part of a longer-term therapy plan.
Because ACT is process-based, the number of sessions depends on individual goals and progress - not a fixed treatment schedule.
During ACT therapy you and your therapist will work closely together, in 50-minute sessions, using the three main tools of mindfulness, acceptance, and commitment.
Mindfulness means turning your attention to your present experience, and the thoughts, feelings, and sensations you are currently having.
Acceptance involves learning to allow the thoughts, emotions, and experiences that arise during mindfulness and in life to be what they are, without attaching meaning to them, or trying to control or avoid them.
Commitment means we use our personal values to then determine what is important to us, and to then take action steps towards positive behavioural and life changes.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT, pronounced as the word “act”) is a transdiagnostic, evidence-based psychotherapeutic approach that helps people become more psychologically flexible - more open to difficult thoughts and feelings, more present, and more able to take meaningful action.
Unlike traditional Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which often focuses on changing the content of thoughts, ACT changes how we relate to them.
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