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ACT Therapy in New Jersey
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy
- Written By: Amanda Stevens, B.S.
- Reviewed By: Dr. Po-Chang Hsu, M.D., M.S.
- Updated:
- Published:
- Reading Time: 9 minutes
Learn more about acceptance & commitment therapy and how it works to heal the root causes.
learning how to accept life on life's terms
Where Acceptance & the Desire for Change Co-exist
Whether it was encouragement from a loved one or you feel like you’ve hit rock-bottom in your struggle with addiction, you’ve made the brave decision to regain control of your life and start a new chapter.
Many people do not make it to this point. By desiring change, you’ve already taken the first step in your recovery journey.
And it only gets better from here.
At Absolute Awakenings, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) can help you develop the emotional fortitude and psychological flexibility you need to overcome addiction.
trauma-informed, therapeutic solutions
Our Therapies
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a form of talk therapy that helps you to identify negative thoughts and feelings. The goal is to help you understand the sequence of events that lead to undesirable behaviors and stop the cycle before it begins.
DBT was initially created to treat personality disorders but has since maintained prominence as an industry-leading mental health and substance use treatment. While similar to CBT, DBT is a psychotherapy approach that helps you identify and accept two potentially contradictory things in your mind. For example, feeling intense emotions about something and comparing this to the truth about that thing.
Considered more of a counseling approach, Motivational Interviewing is a person-centered and targeted intervention that helps clients identify and address ambivalent feelings about their actions. The intention is to rebuild or develop their own personal motivation to make positive behavior changes.
The goal of ACT is for the client to increase their psychological flexibility by implementing several effective behavioral changes and commitment-based strategies. By accepting hardships or challenges and committing to a healthy response, the client creates positive habits.
Interpersonal Therapy is a form of psychotherapy. The goal is to help clients address their worries and obstacles and improve interpersonal communication and enhance their relationships. The client learns new ways to relate to their circle, their circumstances, and the world around them to develop and maintain healthy relationships.
The road to recovery for someone struggling with alcohol or substance use often brings the family along. Family Therapy is a safe space for every member of the family to be heard, feel seen, and work through their challenges as a group. Here, there is room for the whole unit to be supported and pursue healing, not only the primary client.
Art Therapy is a form of Experiential Therapy that facilitates a hands-on approach to recovery. The client will engage in multiple activities, such as creating or viewing the arts. From drawing and pottery to painting and art museums, the therapist will help the patient engage with all aspects of the craft.
This type of yoga is not simply a workout, although that is often a natural byproduct. Yoga Therapy is an interactive therapeutic approach that engages the whole patient, body, mind, and soul. By connecting these three facets of a person, clients can begin to ease physical, mental, and emotional complaints.
Muay Thai isn’t just for self-defense and movement. It’s also an evidence-back therapeutic outlet that promotes stress relief, focus, and personal discipline. All of these attributes make it a highly-effective therapy technique for drug and alcohol dependence.
Music Therapy is another form of Experiential Therapy that actively engages the client in their treatment with a hands-on approach. Activities range from listening, writing, and playing music under the direction of a skilled provider. Don’t worry, you don’t need to know how to play an instrument in order to participate.
Hypnotherapy is nothing like a hypnotist on a stage. It is, however, an evidence-based and highly-effective therapeutic intervention. In Hypnotherapy, the therapist helps to create a state of increased attention and concentration. Inducing a state of hypnosis gives a sense of heightened awareness and allows the client to process experiences from a detached perspective.
how does ACT Therapy Work?
What is ACT Therapy?
Developed by University of Utah professor Steven C. Hayes in the 1980s, ACT is a mindfulness-based therapy that helps clients navigate life in the present moment, despite life’s circumstances.
This form of mental health treatment guides clients through accepting that negative thoughts and feelings can coexist with the desire to move forward with life. With a greater understanding of how deeper emotions can be managed, clients can begin to make healthier choices and meaningful changes.
Often used in substance use disorder treatment programs, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can help with overcoming cravings and relapse prevention.
The 6 Core Principles of ACT Therapy
There are six core principles that make up ACT:
Cognitive defusion is the concept of acknowledging thoughts and feelings without being consumed by them. This technique allows clients to create separation between themselves and their emotions so that behaviors can be better controlled.
Acceptance is the practice of allowing–or even embracing–thoughts and emotions in the present moment rather than avoiding or denying these negative feelings. Acceptance helps to minimize shame by providing validation of negative emotions without associated feelings of guilt.
This process is beneficial for those suffering from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), depression, and anxiety. At Absolute Awakenings, we believe that each patient’s journey is unique and requires an individualized approach to ensure their motivation to overcome and recover is met.
The concept of Contact With the Present Moment means being purposefully mindful and immersed in what is happening at the current moment. It means focusing on what is happening in real time, rather than fixating on what has already occurred or might possibly occur in the future.
Also referred to as the Self-As-Context, The Observing Self encourages self-awareness and reflection in a non-judgmental, objective way.
Your personal values are your core compass and help you steer your life in the direction you want to go. ACT helps clients identify what values are most important to them and how to use these values to make healthier choices.
Committed action is behaving in line with your values to ensure a desired outcome is achieved. This final principal in ACT therapy helps those healing from drug abuse, alcohol addiction, or other co-occurring behavioral health conditions stay focused on their recovery.
act therapy can help you recover from substance abuse
ACT Therapy in New Jersey at Absolute Awakenings
Recovery is never one-size-fits all.
Beginning with a thorough evaluation of your physical, emotional, and psychological health, our clinical care providers create a plan based on your individual needs. Your care team will closely monitor your progress throughout your outpatient, intensive outpatient, or PHP program to ensure that you have the best chance at achieving lifelong recovery.
At Absolute Awakenings, we understand that change in attitude results in a change in behavior.
As part of your treatment program, you will participate in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to equip you with the skills you need to live a healthy life outside of a recovery environment.
Along with ACT therapy, your care plan may include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), group therapy, art therapy, hypnotherapy, and other modalities.
We Accept With Most Major Insurance
If you or a loved one is ready to get help but finances are holding you back, give us a call. We can work with your health insurance provider.
Stories of Hope & Healing
Hear from Our Alumni
A jewel among many local drug and alcohol rehab treatment centers in Denville, New Jersey, the care and treatment options you’ll receive at Absolute Awakenings is second to none. From not knowing if you’ll ever feel in control again to being confident in the path you’re on, we are invested in YOU every step of the way.
Answers to Common Questions About ACT Therapy in NJ
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy FAQs
Although both Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy are both behavior-based therapies, they have key differentiators.
Cognitive behavioral therapy works by helping the client identify and modify negative thoughts, while ACT is based on the principle that negative thoughts must be accepted as a fact of life.
Both therapies encourage changed behavior, but ACT therapy is focused more on moving forward in life despite destructive thoughts.
ACT is helpful for any mental health condition in which the client feels stuck in negative behaviors due to fixation on negative thoughts, feelings, or circumstances. ACT is commonly used in drug use treatment, alcohol addiction treatment, PTSD treatment, depression treatment, and even the treatment of bipolar and schizophrenia.
Yes. ACT is a powerful therapy that can help individuals struggling with addiction to opiates or other drugs. Because ACT helps clients develop self-awareness, identify core values, and commit to taking action that support these values, clients are better equipped to overcome cravings and prevent relapse.
The goal of Acceptance and Commitment therapy is for the client to begin taking actions that support their core values. Because drug use prevents individuals from living in line with their values, behavioral changes are made.
It is important that those going into drug addiction treatment are admitted only when they are not actively using. Entering treatment without addictive substances in your system will allow you to focus on recovery and healing without having to manage the physical symptoms of withdrawal.
It is crucial to your recovery that you are admitted to the program that is the most conducive to your healing.
An outpatient program allows clients to participate in their therapies during the day and return home in the evenings to attend to work, school, or familial obligations. With Inpatient programs, clients stay on-site 24 hours a day.
Absolute Awakenings is an outpatient-only facility. If you feel that you need a residential-based treatment program, Absolute Awakenings might not be the best fit for you.
During your evaluation, our clinical care team will work with you to determine if an inpatient or outpatient treatment program is the best course of action.
move beyond the struggle into healing
How ACT Therapy in New Jersey Can Help You Recover from Addiction
This behavioral therapy combines mindfulness with self-acceptance, giving the individual the skills necessary to identify emotions, accept them, and make value-based choices that help move life forward rather than dwelling in the negative emotions.
ACT therapy is useful in drug addiction recovery as it helps the client acknowledge and live with negative emotions while still taking actions that further their goals and reinforce their core values.
Many treatment centers use this type of psychotherapy in the treatment of not just substance use disorder, but co-occurring conditions such as depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder as well.
Living within the confines of substance use disorder can feel suffocating. You were not born to feel this way. There is a better way to live. Start your journey towards a better, more mindful,
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We follow an evidence-based approach to treating substance abuse disorders at their core. Our belief is in healing the underlying factors that lead to addiction so that relapses can be avoided.
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