Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)

Who is suitable for acceptance and commitment therapy?

Children and young people upto the age of 25 may be suitable for ACT, depending on their level of language comprehension.

ACT may be suitable for children and young people who:

• Struggle to regulate emotions
• Avoid change
• Find it difficult to commit
• Struggle in daily life due to overwhelming emotions
• Have a long-term/chronic health condition
• Feel they need to be good at everything
• Don’t feel in control of their thoughts and feelings

If you would like to find out how acceptance and commitment therapy could benefit you or people around you then please contact us to find out more.

What are the benefits of acceptance and commitment therapy

Acceptance and commitment therapy brings many benefits for the child or young person, including being able to:

• Face new situations instead of using avoidance
• Feel self confident
• Accept change
• Regulate emotions using effective strategies
• Commit to something
• Accept a long-term/chronic health condition
• Feel in control of thoughts and feelings
• Accept that they cannot do everything perfectly

Following acceptance and commitment therapy there will be some recommendations for supporting the child or young person. Our recommendations are useful for helping the child or young person to commit to and accept change.

What happens prior to acceptance and commitment therapy?

Acceptance and commitment therapy can be carried out following an initial discussion, please see our process below.

What happens during acceptance and commitment therapy?

With a HSR Psychology professional, the child or young person will begin to recognise and understand their coping style e.g. avoidant coping style. Essentially, the individual will identify things they cannot change in their life and begin to accept them by using acceptance strategies such as mindfulness techniques. The child or young person will be supported in accepting the reality of their situation and encouraged to work around these circumstances. The individual will then discuss and uncover what they need to do in order to successfully achieve the goals they have. Once the child or young person has chosen their direction, they will be inspired to take action in order to achieve their goals. 

What happens after acceptance and commitment therapy?

After acceptance and commitment therapy the child or young person will understand their coping styles and will be able to implement effective strategies such as mindfulness, for coping in everyday life. Following acceptance and commitment therapy, we might recommend follow up sessions if the individual begins to show their initial coping styles again. Outcomes from acceptance and commitment therapy will be provided through a feedback session, or a written report if needed. We will support you through the whole process of an intervention which is why we offer the option to receive follow up support.

Does acceptance and commitment therapy come with a report?

We always recommend a report following an intervention, which will include what took place, the impact of our involvement and recommendations for the future. A comprehensive report is available after acceptance and commitment therapy highlighting effective strategies and ways to support the child or young person. Reasons for requesting acceptance and commitment therapy vary, and if a written report is not needed then feedback will be provided verbally along with a brief summary.