Acceptance & Commitment Therapy
ACT: Turning Struggle Into Strength
If you’re struggling with OCD or an anxiety disorder, you might feel stuck in a constant tug-of-war with your thoughts and emotions. You might spend countless hours trying to suppress, argue against, control, or avoid them, only to find that they come back stronger, leaving you feeling even more overwhelmed. While these efforts initially make sense, they often create more frustration and keep you trapped in a cycle of misery. A joke one of our clinicians frequently makes to new clients is, “If you could heal from OCD or an anxiety disorder with just a strong and persuasive argument, you’d be better off hiring a lawyer than a therapist!”
At OCD & Anxiety Recovery, we use modern cognitive behavioral therapies like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which helps people heal from OCD and anxiety disorders. Unlike some therapies that focus on eliminating distressing thoughts and feelings by arguing toward a realistic perspective, ACT emphasizes dropping the struggle with your thoughts and emotions.
How ACT Works
ACT encourages you to accept the presence of uncomfortable thoughts and emotions without letting them dictate your actions. With ACT, the focus isn’t on “fixing” your mind—it’s about building a meaningful, fulfilling life, even when anxiety shows up.
Here are the core components of ACT:
Acceptance: Instead of fighting against uncomfortable thoughts and emotions, ACT helps you learn to make space for them. This doesn’t mean you have to like or agree with them—it simply means acknowledging their presence without judgment or resistance.
Cognitive Defusion: Often, we get “hooked” by our thoughts, and we get carried away by a whole list of unhelpful responses that just keep us stuck. In ACT, we teach you techniques to unhook from these thoughts, helping you see them as just mental events rather than facts that dictate your reality.
Values: ACT guides you by clarifying what truly matters to you—your values—and taking steps toward meaningful goals, even when anxiety tries to hold you back.
Contact with the Present: Mindfulness is a key element of ACT. It helps you stay present, grounded, and engaged in the moment, rather than getting caught up in worries about the past or future.
Committed Action: Guided by your values and by dropping the struggle, ACT helps you take meaningful steps toward living life with anxiety rather than waiting forever for distress to disappear.
Self-as-Context: If your brain and mind are like a computer and monitor, then you are the person who is using it. Even though you can’t control what shows up on your mental monitor, you can learn what’s worth clicking on.
Benefits of ACT for OCD and Anxiety Disorders
ACT is especially effective for OCD and anxiety disorders because it addresses the underlying processes that keep you stuck: avoiding and fighting distressing thoughts and emotions. Imagine being able to attend a wedding without getting swept up in trying to get rid of your anxious thoughts and feelings. Imagine being able to allow anxious sensations to arrive and leave on their own without getting stuck in an endless game of tug-of-war. If you’ve tried talk therapy before and still feel stuck, ACT can offer a fresh and empowering perspective.
ACT Therapists Near You
If OCD or anxiety has been making life feel unbearable, know that help is available. Our clients often describe ACT as both empowering and liberating. They find that they no longer need to spend their energy battling their minds or avoiding their fears. Instead, they develop the courage to face life’s challenges while focusing on what truly matters to them. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy offers a compassionate, effective way to break free from the cycle of avoidance and fear.
Whether you live in Dallas, Houston, or anywhere else in Texas, at OCD & Anxiety Recovery you can expect to learn more about ACT and how it can help you start living a life aligned with your values and aspirations. Recovery is possible, and we’re ready to help you take the first step.