Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based, transdiagnostic form of psychotherapy developed by Steven C. Hayes and colleagues in the 1980s and grounded in functional contextualism and Relational Frame Theory that integrates mindfulness and acceptance strategies with commitment and behavior-change strategies to cultivate psychological flexibility, the capacity to remain present and open to internal experiences while taking action guided by personally chosen values. Rather than seeking to reduce or eliminate unwanted thoughts, emotions, urges, or cravings, ACT targets a person’s relationship to these private events through six interrelated core processes: acceptance, cognitive defusion, contact with the present moment, self-as-context, values clarification, and committed action.

In nutritional psychology, ACT is relevant to emotional eating, other dysregulated eating patterns, and body image concerns, emphasizing psychological flexibility in responding to food- and body-related thoughts and feelings while supporting values-guided behavior.