Find an Accredited Cognitive Behavioural Therapist

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy – Find an ACT Therapist Nearby or Online

If you are looking for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with a qualified and accredited expert, then you are in the right place. The ACT therapists on this registry service have all completed professional ACT training in addition to their core Cognitive Behavioural Therapy qualifications. You can view the featured ACT therapists in the profile showcase on this page or browse ACT therapists by entering your postcode and selecting the ACT option in the search box.

What Is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy also known as ACT, is a modern form of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with a strong evidence base and an excellent treatment record. Like other forms of CBT, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy focuses on altering the impact of unhelpful thinking and behavioural patterns that maintain a wide range of emotional and psychological problems. ACT is oriented towards learning how to let go of the emotional struggle in the service of living a more purposeful and fulfilling life. Whilst there are many crossovers between ACT and traditional CBT, a key difference is a willingness to accept and lower resistance to problematic thoughts and behaviours, rather than challenging or changing the thoughts and behaviours themselves.

How Does Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Work?

The ACT model is based around six core processes that are designed to improve psychological flexibility and behavioural choice. ACT is derived from a special form of behavioural psychology known as functional contextualism and underpinned by a theoretical framework known as Relational Frame Theory. The six processes are:

  • Present Moment Attention; learning how to be present in the here and now.
  • Psychological Acceptance; a willingness to acknowledge things for what they are without judgement, criticism or resistance.
  • Cognitive Defusion; learning how to let go of or unhook from your unhelpful thoughts.
  • Self As Context; developing the capacity to adopt the “observer’s” perspective rather than measuring or defining yourself by your thoughts.
  • Personal Values; exploring and identifying values as a basis for understanding who you are and what you stand for.
  • Committed Action; agreeing and implementing new behaviours that are consistent with your goals and personal values.


Current research shows that ACT can be delivered as a stand-alone process, or integrated into other mainstream CBT approaches. Whilst ACT is arguably derived from a different philosophical model to other forms of CBT, a strong ACT therapist should be able to seamlessly integrate approaches from other forms of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy into the ACT treatment approach.

The ACT practitioners on this website have completed their post-graduate training in CBT and have undertaken additional specialist training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

If you need help selecting an ACT oriented Cognitive Behavioural Therapist or if you have questions about the ACT process, please complete the simple contact form at the bottom of this page or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Think CBT

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Experts.
Fast and confidential CBT Appointments.
No waiting lists, no red-tape and no fuss.