Therapies

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) gets its name from one of its core messages: accept what is out of your personal control, and commit to action that improves and enriches your life.

How it works

The aim of ACT – which is pronounced as the word ‘act’, not as the initials – is to maximise your potential for a rich, full and meaningful life.

We teach you mindfulness skills to deal with painful thoughts and feelings effectively – in such a way that they have much less impact and influence over you.

ACT breaks mindfulness skills down into three categories:

Defusion: distancing from, and letting go of, unhelpful thoughts, beliefs and memories

Acceptance: making room for painful feelings, urges and sensations, and allowing them to come and go without a struggle

Contact with the present moment: engaging fully with your here-and-now experience, with an attitude of openness and curiosity

We will also help you to clarify what is truly important and meaningful to you – your values – then use that knowledge to guide, inspire and motivate you to change your life for the better.

What it’s like

Compared to some other therapies we offer, ACT moves away from changing or correcting your thoughts to alleviate suffering.

Instead, ACT aims to change your relationship with your thoughts and feelings so you can become free from their grip – and free from the patterns that bind and prevent you from living a flexible, meaningful, and enjoyable life.

The therapy incorporates acceptance strategies, mindfulness techniques, and a wide range of behavioural approaches already known to be effective from CBT.

You may like to read some feedback and encouragements by those who received therapy with us.

Other therapies

Read more about the different types of therapy we offer:

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Counselling

Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy

Compassion-focused Therapy

Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing

Narrative Exposure Therapy

Interpersonal Therapy

Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia

Couples Therapy

Difficulties we treat

If you’re going through a hard time, we want you to know that you’re not alone and good support is now available. We provide talking therapies for all kinds of common mental health difficulties.

Self-help resources

Be sure to check out our useful section of self-help resources for wellbeing.

Employment advice

Alongside therapy our Employment Team can help you find employment or training, and support you with workplace adjustments or disputes.

Make the first step

We know the courage it takes to ask for help, and we hope you’ll consider therapy with us. Read more about what to expect if you refer.

Talking Change is for everyone aged sixteen or over, who live in Portsmouth and are registered with a GP in the city.

You can self-refer by calling us on 0300 123 3934 or by completing this secure form online.

Urgent help

Talking Change is not an emergency mental health service for people in crisis. Support is available from specialist services if urgent help is needed.