Videos About ACT

Watch and Learn About ACT

ACT in More Detail

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is a therapeutic approach designed to develop psychological flexibility and resilience in facing the demands of life. Rather than focusing simply on the elimination of symptoms, the purpose of ACT is to help individuals create full, rich, and meaningful lives without needless suffering.

The processes of change include:

learning to remain flexibly and purposefully in the present moment;
keeping your thoughts and stories about yourself in perspective as just thoughts and stories;
accepting with equanimity (and good humor) what life offers, including the inevitable pain that comes with living a human life;
being free to decide what you want your life to be about; and
committing yourself to doing the things that will shape your life around your hopes, dreams, and values.

ACT is all about valued living with less struggle.

These animated acceptance and commitment therapy videos show the processes of change in action.

As with the example of Shakespeare, clarifying and living by your own values is essential for pursuing a satisfying life path.

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Identifying difficult thoughts and emotions rather than fighting them reduces their power and puts you back in charge.

thumbnail for acceptance and commitment therapy animated video on living with difficult thoughts and emotions

Learning how to notice what is or is not working in your life and making changes, if needed, can bring big improvements for you.

Workability - Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Video play button

Being truly “present in the now” – not distracted, stuck in the past, or focused on the future – can help you live more fully and meaningfully.

Being Present and Aware - Acceptance and Commitment Therapy video play button

Being able to view yourself from other perspectives, especially when times are rough, can bring big improvements to your life.

Expanding Your Perspective - Acceptance and Commitment Therapy video play button

Identifying and then breaking the cycles of avoidance that keep you stuck can change your life for the better.

breaking the cycle of avoidance acceptance and commitment therapy video thumbnail with play button

ACT’s Overall Goal: Valued Living with Less Struggle

Creating and cultivating a life worth living by clarifying our values and goals and letting go of the habits that are holding us back.

Basic Principles

We get to choose our actions – where we go, what we do with our hands and feet, what comes out of our mouth.
We have relatively little choice about the memories, feelings, or thoughts that show up in a situation.
So, the most effective way to change our lives is to focus on changing our actions and learning new ways to deal with troubling memories, thoughts, and feelings.

Drawing of person stuck in pit with shovel hammer ladder clock phone - ACT training

Human Liberation

I am free when:

I can do something I don’t want to do because doing it is important.
I can not do something I want to do because not doing it is important.
I can make a choice to pursue a valued direction even when my mind is telling me I can’t do it or to do the opposite.

Areas of Focus

Taking respectful care of ourselves
Basic physical and psychological self care
Awareness and personal self-knowledge
Recognizing and letting go of ineffective patterns of behavior
Living with our own internal experience – accepting what we cannot change
Not taking what our mind says too seriously, when it’s not being helpful
Willingly experiencing our feelings
Living with other people – effectiveness in interpersonal relationships

Dr. Lilian Dindo’s Work in the News

ACT Workshops being implemented in community settings

Interview with Dr. Joe Tatta at the Integrative Pain Science Institute. How to develop an effective 1-day workshop and improve mental wellbeing for people with pain, anxiety, depression, and PTSD using ACT. February 2021.

VA Acting Deputy Secretary Pamela Powers video tweet about Dr. Dindo’s ACT Workshop for Veterans.
Dindo et al. 2018 J of Pain article

Rakel B, Dindo L. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Prevention of Chronic Post-Surgical Pain and Opioid Use in At-Risk Veterans: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Study. PracticeUpdate website.

Dindo & Rakel (2018). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Prevention of Chronic Pain and Opioid Abuse.
BodyinMind.org. June 22, 2018.

Study cited by Department of Health and Human Services: “Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force Report.” May 2019.

Study cited by the American Psychological Association Monitor “Patient Centered Pain Management.” May 2019.

Interview with Dr. Joe Tatta at the Integrative Pain Science Institute. How to use ACT to treat post-surgical pain and opioid use in Veterans. July 2018.
Dindo et al. 2017 Psychological Science article.

Mom.me (Nov 6, 2017). Turns out your super attached kids may be more successful in life.

Thriveglobal.com (October 2017). This is how you raise successful teens: it starts when they are toddlers.

Dr. Dindo’s research work can also be seen on the ACT on Health Lab page from Baylor College of Medicine.