Develop your therapy skills in 2026!
When learning acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), one of the most common questions everyone asks us is, “Where do I start?”. ACT is a rich, dynamic, and flexible model, and with a vast number of books, models and experts it can certainly feel overwhelming at first. However, we really believe the best way to begin is by building a strong foundation in the core principles that underpin the approach.
A natural starting point is to familiarise yourself with the six core ACT processes and how they contribute to psychological flexibility. These processes; acceptance, defusion, present-moment awareness, self-as-context, values, and committed action, are the building blocks of ACT. Understanding each process individually is a crucial first step, but it’s important to remember that the goal is to ultimately integrate them in service of psychological flexibility.
Understanding psychological flexibility as the heart of ACT
Psychological flexibility is the central aim of ACT. It refers to the ability to adapt to life’s challenges with openness, awareness, and a commitment to values-based action. To develop this skill in clients, practitioners must first understand the interplay between the six ACT processes. Each process contributes to psychological flexibility in its unique way, but they work together as a cohesive and interconnected system.
For example, acceptance encourages clients to open up to difficult emotions, while defusion helps them create space from unhelpful thoughts. Values guide them towards what truly matters, and committed action supports them in taking meaningful steps forward. Present-moment awareness helps anchor all these processes, while self-as-context encourages perspective-taking and a sense of connection to something larger than the self.
A comprehensive introduction to ACT and psychological flexibility can be found in our ACT essentials course. Available on-demand, this training takes you through the fundamentals of the approach and comes with plenty of worksheets, videos, recommendations and exercises to get you started!
Troubleshooting – avoid focusing on individual processes
When starting out, many practitioners choose to focus on one process at a time. For instance, you might practice your defusion techniques, such as the “leaves on a stream” exercise, to help clients unhook from unhelpful thoughts. Another focus might be to promote acceptance of difficult emotions, using metaphors like “dropping the rope” to illustrate the futility of struggling against distress.
While this approach is useful for building confidence and familiarity with the processes, it’s important that you don’t become overly rigid. ACT is not about mastering each process in isolation but about weaving them together to create a fluid and dynamic therapy experience.
Build towards integration
As you become more comfortable with the individual processes, the next step is to explore how they interact. For example, when working on defusion, you may notice that clients become more aware of their values as they step back from unhelpful thoughts. Similarly, a conversation about acceptance might naturally lead to a discussion about committed action, as clients consider how they want to show up in their lives despite discomfort.
This interconnectedness is often represented by the ACT hexaflex, a visual model that illustrates how the six processes support and reinforce one another. By focusing on the hexaflex as a whole, rather than its individual components, you can begin to develop a more flexible and responsive way of practising ACT.
Training and experiential learning
Our ACT training workshops will often include practical exercises, live demonstrations, and roleplay, all of which help you develop the skills needed to apply the model effectively. Peer group discussions and supervision are also invaluable, providing opportunities to reflect on your practice, receive feedback, and refine your approach.
It is with these ideas in mind that we created our new ACT pathway, a supported, progressive route that works alongside practitioners to help you become a more effective mental health professional. On top of the on-demand ACT essentials module, you receive interactive Q&A sessions and 3 further live sessions to help take you comfortably from beginner to experienced ACT practitioner.
Another key part of learning ACT is engaging in experiential training. This goes beyond intellectual understanding and involves practising the processes yourself. For instance, you might explore your own values or practise acceptance of uncomfortable thoughts and feelings with a client. By experiencing the processes firsthand, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of how to guide future clients through similar experiences. This is why we specifically created a pathway programme that checks in and builds throughout the year, allowing you to develop your skills over time, rather than offloading lots of information in one go.
As you grow in confidence and skill, you’ll find yourself moving from focusing on the individual processes to integrating them seamlessly. Over time, ACT will become less about following a step-by-step formula and more about adapting flexibly to the needs of your clients in the moment.
The importance of supervision and feedback
Supervision plays a vital role in developing your ACT skills too, and if you sign up to our ACT pathway you will receive 10% discount off your group ACT supervision sessions. Group supervision allows you to review your sessions, identify areas for improvement, and receive constructive feedback from your peers. We use tools such as the ACT Fidelity Measure (ACTFM) to help provide structured feedback on how well you’re applying the ACT model, identifying specific areas for growth as you develop through the pathway.
Supervision also provides a space to explore challenges, such as managing your own discomfort during sessions or finding ways to integrate the processes more fluidly. Over time, this reflective practice will help you develop greater confidence and competence.
Get started
If you have been interested in the concepts of ACT but haven’t been sure where to start or go next, then we are offering a FREE one-hour session to inspire and inform you as you begin your own ACT training journey, whether this be via the ACT pathway or another route.
As with most things, ACT is about showing up, with openness, curiosity, and a commitment to what matters most. Through training, practice, and personal growth, we can help you to develop the skills that builds your clients psychological flexibility, empowering them to create meaningful, values-based lives.