Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
🌿 Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in Santa Barbara
Finding Freedom Through Awareness, Values, and Action
Life often presents experiences that can’t simply be “fixed” or controlled — difficult emotions, painful memories, or ongoing uncertainty. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) offers a path forward that doesn’t depend on avoiding or eliminating pain. Instead, it helps you build a meaningful, values-driven life while learning to hold your inner experience with compassion and flexibility.
In ACT, healing is not about erasing struggle — it’s about transforming your relationship with it.
What Is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)?
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (pronounced as the word “act”) is an evidence-based approach developed from behavioral psychology and mindfulness research. It’s rooted in the understanding that pain is a normal part of the human experience — and that our attempts to avoid or suppress it often cause more suffering.
Rather than trying to change or control your thoughts and feelings, ACT helps you accept what’s outside your control and commit to actions that align with your deepest values.
At its heart, ACT is about living more fully, not perfectly.
The Six Core Processes of ACT
ACT uses six interconnected processes to cultivate psychological flexibility — the ability to stay open, present, and aligned with your values, even in the face of difficulty:
Acceptance: Learning to make space for painful feelings, rather than resisting or avoiding them.
Cognitive Defusion: Observing thoughts as just words or images — not truths or commands.
Present-Moment Awareness: Grounding in mindfulness, noticing what’s happening right now.
Self-as-Context: Seeing yourself as more than your thoughts, feelings, or experiences.
Values: Clarifying what truly matters to you — your relationships, passions, purpose.
Committed Action: Taking steps, small or large, toward the life you want to live.
Through these processes, ACT helps you move from reactivity to intentionality, from avoidance to engagement, and from self-criticism to self-compassion.
The Evidence for ACT
ACT is a highly researched form of psychotherapy, supported by hundreds of clinical studies. Evidence shows that ACT is effective for:
Anxiety disorders (including social and generalized anxiety)
Depression and mood regulation
Trauma and PTSD
OCD and intrusive thoughts
Chronic pain and illness
Workplace stress and burnout
Relationship and identity challenges
ACT has also been shown to improve resilience, emotional flexibility, and overall well-being — helping people lead lives guided by purpose rather than fear.
How ACT Differs from Other Therapies
Unlike some cognitive-behavioral approaches that focus primarily on changing thoughts, ACT emphasizes changing your relationship to your thoughts.
You learn that you can have difficult feelings and still take meaningful action. You can hold grief and still love. You can feel fear and still move toward your goals.
ACT teaches you to hold both truths at once — that pain is part of being human, and that your life can still be rich, connected, and deeply fulfilling.
How I Use ACT in Therapy
In my practice, I use ACT as both a structure and a spirit — blending evidence-based interventions with warmth, mindfulness, and compassion.
Here’s how ACT may look in our work together:
Exploring what truly matters to you — your values, hopes, and commitments
Learning mindfulness and grounding techniques to stay connected to the present
Identifying unhelpful thought patterns and practicing defusion skills
Building acceptance of uncomfortable emotions without judgment
Taking committed action, step by step, toward your goals and well-being
I often integrate ACT with Mindfulness-Based, Somatic, and Trauma-Informed therapies to meet you where you are — honoring your readiness and pacing healing in a way that feels safe and empowering.
Acceptance: The Paradox of Healing
Many people come to therapy hoping to eliminate pain — to “get rid of” anxiety, sadness, or guilt. In ACT, we take a different approach. We learn to make space for discomfort, because resistance often amplifies suffering.
When you stop fighting your emotions, they lose their power to control you. Acceptance creates room for compassion and movement — allowing healing to emerge naturally, not through force but through gentleness.
Commitment: Living Your Values
The “Commitment” part of ACT is about action — but not just any action. It’s about acting in alignment with your values, even when it’s hard.
We explore what truly gives your life meaning — whether that’s love, creativity, family, service, growth, or authenticity — and build daily practices that move you toward those values.
Instead of being guided by fear, avoidance, or perfectionism, you begin to shape your life around what matters most.
The Power of Psychological Flexibility
The goal of ACT is psychological flexibility — the ability to adapt, stay present, and take meaningful action in the face of life’s challenges.
Flexible minds are resilient minds. You learn that you can have pain without being defined by it, have fear without being frozen by it, and have uncertainty without losing hope.
This flexibility allows you to live with openness, courage, and authenticity — even when life is unpredictable.
When ACT Can Help
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can support you if you are:
Struggling with anxiety, depression, or stress
Feeling stuck or disconnected from your goals or relationships
Caught in self-criticism, perfectionism, or avoidance
Navigating life transitions or identity shifts
Seeking to build emotional resilience and self-compassion
ACT can also complement other modalities such as Animal-Assisted Therapy, Mindfulness, or Couples Therapy, providing a framework for growth and change.
A Trauma-Informed ACT Approach
For those with trauma histories, acceptance can feel like surrender or exposure — and that’s why safety and pacing are essential.
In our work, I approach ACT through a trauma-informed lens, integrating grounding and somatic awareness. Together, we build the capacity to notice emotions without becoming overwhelmed, creating a foundation for deeper healing and integration.
What to Expect in Sessions
ACT is an experiential therapy. Our sessions might include:
Mindfulness and defusion exercises
Metaphors and experiential activities
Exploration of personal values
Reflection on moments of choice and growth
Action planning and accountability
We’ll move at your pace, balancing acceptance and change — compassion and courage — in each session.
The Outcome: A Life of Meaning
Over time, ACT helps you cultivate a new way of being:
You’ll respond to challenges with openness rather than fear.
You’ll identify what matters most and live in alignment with it.
You’ll find that even in pain, there is possibility and choice.
ACT helps you live a values-driven life, not by eliminating struggle, but by discovering strength and meaning within it.
Begin Your Journey
If you’re looking for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Santa Barbara, I would be honored to support you.
Together, we’ll explore how to live with greater awareness, courage, and purpose — transforming pain into possibility and presence into action.