Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is not about eliminating difficult thoughts or feelings. It’s about changing your relationship with them. Through acceptance, mindfulness, and values-based action, ACT helps you develop psychological flexibility so you can move toward a life that feels meaningful and aligned with what matters most to you.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps you respond differently to difficult thoughts and emotions by building psychological flexibility and supporting values-based action.
Many people arrive at therapy having already tried to think their way out of difficult emotions, or push through discomfort by sheer willpower. ACT offers a different starting point. Rather than measuring progress by how you feel, it measures progress by how freely you are able to live, even when difficult thoughts and emotions are present.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) may be a good fit if you’ve tried to manage difficult thoughts or emotions but found that pushing them away, avoiding them, or struggling against them only leaves you feeling more stuck. Rather than trying to eliminate discomfort, ACT helps you develop new ways of responding to your inner experiences so you can move toward a life guided by your values. ACT is effective for anxiety, depression, trauma, OCD, chronic pain, life transitions, and any situation where psychological flexibility would help.
ACT may be especially helpful if you are:
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) are both evidence-based approaches that help people respond more effectively to life’s challenges. While they share many similarities, they differ in how they work with difficult thoughts and emotions.
CBT often focuses on identifying and evaluating unhelpful thinking patterns to reduce their impact. ACT takes a different approach. Rather than trying to challenge or change difficult thoughts, ACT helps you change your relationship with them through mindfulness, acceptance, and values-based action.
The goal is not to think differently, but to become less controlled by your thoughts so you can make choices that reflect what matters most to you. Both approaches can be highly effective. ACT may be particularly helpful if you’ve tried CBT in the past and found that analysing your thoughts wasn’t enough, or if you’re looking for an approach that emphasizes acceptance, psychological flexibility, and living in alignment with your values.
Building Awareness
We begin by slowing down and noticing what is showing up thoughts, emotions, physical sensations. You learn to observe these experiences without judgment or immediate reaction.
Defusion from Thoughts
You learn to see thoughts as just thoughts not absolute truths. Rather than being pulled into them, you develop distance and choice in how you respond.
Making Room for Emotions
Instead of avoiding or suppressing uncomfortable feelings, we turn toward them with acceptance. This creates space for healing and forward movement.
Clarifying Values
We explore what genuinely matters to you, not just what you want to avoid. Your values become the direction that guides the work.
Committed Action
Once values are clear, we support you in taking meaningful steps toward the life you want, even small ones even when discomfort is present.
Psychological Flexibility
At the heart of ACT is developing the flexibility to respond to life with presence, growing more grounded in what matters, and less driven by difficult inner experiences.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) sessions are collaborative, experiential, and centred around your goals. Using guided questions, mindfulness practices, and values-based reflection, we work together to build psychological flexibility and help you respond more effectively to difficult thoughts and emotions – at a pace that feels right for you.
Depending on your needs, sessions may also integrate elements of Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), narrative therapy, or trauma-informed care. Sessions are 50 minutes long and are available in person in Victoria, BC, or online throughout British Columbia.
Request an ACT therapy session online when you feel ready.
Your initial session focuses on understanding your current challenges and exploring whether Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is a good fit.
Ongoing sessions are scheduled based on your goals, availability, and the level of support that feels helpful.
Services
In-person sessions take place in our private counselling office in Victoria, BC and may be helpful if you prefer face-to-face interaction.
Virtual sessions are available for individuals across British Columbia who prefer flexible access from home.
Services
I integrate Acceptance and Commitment Therapy into my work with children, teens, and adults who want practical tools for managing anxiety, stress, and emotional difficulty. ACT supports developing psychological flexibility so you can take meaningful steps forward without needing to eliminate discomfort first.
My training in depth psychology, along with ACT and Motivational Interviewing, informs a steady, thoughtful approach focused on clarity, values, and sustainable change.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is a form of behaviour therapy that promotes psychological flexibility. It helps individuals change their relationship to difficult thoughts and emotions while taking action toward a meaningful life.
While Cognitive Behavioural Therapy often focuses on challenging thoughts, ACT emphasizes acceptance and cognitive defusion. The goal is not to eliminate difficult thoughts but to reduce their control over behaviour.
Research shows that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is effective for anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and other mental health concerns.
The length of therapy varies depending on your goals. Some individuals benefit from short-term, skills-focused work, while others continue longer to deepen committed action and personal growth.
Yes. Online ACT sessions are available for individuals across British Columbia through a secure video platform. In-person sessions are also available at the Victoria office.
Many extended health plans cover sessions with a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC). Coverage varies by plan and provider. I recommend checking directly with your insurer before booking. For more information, visit the rates and insurance.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps you respond to stress, anxiety, and difficult emotions with more clarity and flexibility, instead of feeling controlled by them. Together, we create space for what you’re feeling while helping you stay connected to what matters most.
I provide Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in Victoria, BC, welcoming clients from Fairfield, James Bay, Oak Bay, Saanich, Esquimalt, Fernwood, and Victoria West. Secure online ACT sessions are also available to clients throughout British Columbia.
