Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Side Quest Psychotherapy | Jenna Stone, LCSW-C

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based approach that helps us build more meaningful, satisfying lives by changing how we relate to painful thoughts and feelings.

Instead of focusing on symptom elimination, ACT helps you:

✨ Make space for hard emotions instead of fighting them
✨ Step back from unhelpful thoughts so they have less power over you
✨ Reconnect with what matters most to you—your values, relationships, dreams, and goals
✨ Take small, meaningful actions even when discomfort is present

ACT is sometimes called a “third-wave behavioral therapy” because it integrates mindfulness, compassion, and values-based action alongside behavioral change strategies. It’s been shown to be effective for a wide range of challenges, including anxiety, OCD, chronic stress, trauma, depression, eating disorders, substance use, and more.

How ACT Works

ACT is all about developing psychological flexibility: the ability to stay open, present, and engaged with life, even when it’s hard.

We work together on six key processes:

  1. Acceptance – Making room for painful feelings, urges, and memories without needing to suppress or avoid them.

  2. Cognitive Defusion – Learning to step back from thoughts and notice them as just words or mental events, not facts or commands.

  3. Being Present – Cultivating mindfulness and present-moment awareness.

  4. Observing Self – Connecting to the part of you that can notice thoughts and feelings without being swept away by them.

  5. Values – Clarifying what matters deeply to you: what kind of life you want to live, and what you want to stand for.

  6. Committed Action – Taking steps, big or small, toward your values—even when discomfort or uncertainty shows up.

Why This Matters

We live in a world that often tells us we should be happy, confident, or calm all the time—and if we’re not, something is wrong. ACT gently challenges that idea. It recognizes that pain is a normal part of human life, and trying to control or avoid it often creates more suffering.

ACT helps you break free from the exhausting struggle to “fix” or “control” your internal experiences and instead invest your energy into what makes life meaningful.

Who ACT Helps

At Side Quest Psychotherapy, I use ACT to support those navigating:

  • Anxiety, OCD, and intrusive thoughts

  • Burnout, stress, or perfectionism

  • Chronic pain or health conditions

  • Grief, loss, or big life transitions

  • Eating disorders and body image struggles

  • Identity exploration and neurodivergence

ACT is flexible and adaptable, so I tailor it to your needs, whether you want brief skills-based work or deeper, exploratory therapy.

✨ Ready to break free from the struggle and build a life that matters to you?

Let’s work together to help you show up for what’s meaningful — even when things feel hard.

Get Started Today →