Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in California
An Evidence-Based Approach to Handling Life's Challenges More Effectively
Brave Soul Therapy offers evidence-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for adults facing anxiety, depression, chronic stress, grief, life transitions, and other emotional challenges. Online sessions are available throughout California.
What Is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)?
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a type of psychotherapy that helps people change their relationship with difficult thoughts and emotions. Rather than trying to get rid of anxiety, sadness, fear, or self-doubt, ACT teaches skills that help you respond to those experiences in a healthier and more effective way.
A common reaction to discomfort is to avoid it, fight against it, or wait for it to go away before moving forward. ACT takes a different approach by helping you acknowledge those experiences without letting them dictate your decisions, actions, or direction in life.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is commonly used to support anxiety, depression, chronic stress, trauma, grief, life transitions, and other emotional concerns. It is considered an evidence-based approach and has been extensively studied across a wide range of mental health conditions.
The Principles Behind Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is built around six core processes that work together to support self-awareness, resilience, and intentional living. Each one plays a unique role in helping individuals navigate challenges, strengthen self-awareness, and stay connected to their values.
Acceptance
Acceptance involves acknowledging difficult thoughts, emotions, and experiences rather than constantly trying to avoid, suppress, or control them. It does not mean liking what you're going through or giving up. Instead, it means making space for those experiences so they no longer have to dictate your actions.
Present-Moment Awareness
It is easy to get caught up replaying the past or worrying about the future. Present-moment awareness helps you stay connected to what is happening right now. This can improve focus, reduce emotional overwhelm, and help you respond more intentionally in everyday situations.
Cognitive Defusion
Thoughts can feel powerful, especially when they are negative, critical, or fear-based. Cognitive defusion helps you recognize that thoughts are not always facts. This skill allows you to step back, observe your thoughts, and choose how you respond rather than automatically reacting to them.
Committed Action
Meaningful change often requires taking action even when circumstances are not perfect. Committed action focuses on taking consistent steps toward the life you want to build, even when difficult thoughts, emotions, or obstacles show up along the way.
Values
Values are the qualities and principles you want to express through your actions, relationships, and daily life, such as honesty, connection, growth, or compassion. ACT helps you identify what is truly important in your life so your decisions and actions can be guided by those values rather than fear, avoidance, or self-doubt.
Self-as-Context
People often define themselves by their struggles, emotions, or past experiences. Self-as-context encourages a broader perspective, helping you recognize that you are more than any single thought, feeling, or life circumstance. This can create a greater sense of perspective during difficult times.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is used to support a wide range of mental health concerns and life challenges. Because ACT focuses on helping individuals respond more effectively to difficult thoughts, emotions, and circumstances, it can be applied across many different situations and stages of life.
ACT is commonly used to support:
Anxiety, excessive worry, and fear that interfere with daily life
Depression and difficulty reconnecting with activities, relationships, and personal goals
Chronic stress and burnout related to work, caregiving responsibilities, or ongoing life demands
Grief and loss following the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or other significant life changes
Life transitions such as career changes, parenthood, relocation, retirement, or adjusting to a new stage of life
Self-esteem challenges, self-doubt, and harsh self-criticism
Perfectionism, fear of failure, and unrealistic expectations
People-pleasing patterns and difficulty setting healthy boundaries
Relationship challenges involving communication, conflict, or emotional disconnection
Difficulty adjusting to chronic illness, medical diagnoses, or major health changes
Uncertainty about the future and fear of the unknown
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is not limited to a specific diagnosis or concern. The skills learned through ACT can be applied across many areas of life, helping individuals apply what they learn in therapy to everyday situations, relationships, and important life decisions.
What Can Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Help With?
What to Expect During ACT Therapy at Brave Soul Therapy
ACT therapy at Brave Soul Therapy is tailored to your unique needs, experiences, and goals. Early sessions focus on understanding your concerns, current challenges, and the changes you hope to make in your life. Together, you and your therapist will identify areas where you feel stuck and explore what may be getting in the way of moving forward.
As therapy progresses, sessions often include reflection, guided exercises, skill-building, and discussions about how these concepts apply to real-life situations. The pace of therapy is adjusted to your needs, allowing space for both insight and meaningful action.
Throughout the process, your therapist will provide support, guidance, and practical tools that can be integrated into everyday life.
Jessica Rothwell, APCC
(she/her)
Work With an ACT Therapist in California
Jessica uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as part of her compassionate, trauma-informed approach to working with adults navigating transitions, uncertainty, and periods of change. She is dedicated to helping clients develop a deeper understanding of themselves, build on their strengths, and create meaningful change in their lives.
Her approach is rooted in empathy, authenticity, and unconditional positive regard. She values creating a safe and inclusive space where clients feel supported as they explore new perspectives, build confidence in their decisions, and create healthier ways of responding to life's challenges.
Jessica provides online ACT therapy for adults throughout California.
We Accept Insurance for ACT Therapy
We accept several insurance plans for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), including Valley Health Plan (VHP), Aetna, Optum/UnitedHealthcare, Blue Shield of California, Alameda Alliance for Health, and Santa Clara Family Health Plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
ACT recognizes that constantly fighting, avoiding, or trying to control uncomfortable experiences can become exhausting. By helping you respond to those experiences differently, ACT can reduce the amount of time and energy spent struggling with them. Many people find this frees up energy for their relationships, goals, and daily responsibilities, often leading to a better sense of well-being overall.
-
Both ACT and CBT are evidence-based approaches that can be effective for a variety of mental health concerns. Traditional CBT often focuses on identifying and challenging unhelpful thoughts, while ACT focuses on changing your relationship with those thoughts. Rather than asking whether a thought is true or false, ACT explores how much influence that thought has over your actions and whether it is helping you live the life you want to live.
-
No. While mindfulness is one of the core principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, no prior experience is required. ACT introduces mindfulness in practical and approachable ways, helping you stay present and engaged rather than getting pulled into worries about the future or regrets about the past.
-
Yes. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is commonly used to support individuals experiencing anxiety and depression. ACT can help people navigate the challenges that often accompany these conditions, including avoidance, self-criticism, loss of motivation, and difficulty staying engaged in daily life.
-
Yes. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can be provided through online sessions, allowing you to access support from home or any location that feels comfortable and convenient for you.
Online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in California
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can help you build a healthier relationship with yourself and the challenges you face. Brave Soul Therapy offers online ACT therapy for adults throughout California.