ACT

ACT

MORE ABOUT ACT

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Live With Meaning, Even When Life Feels Hard

Do you find yourself caught in loops of overthinking, avoidance, or trying to “fix” your thoughts and feelings - only to end up feeling more stuck?

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) offers a different approach. Instead of battling your inner experience, ACT helps you make space for it - learning how to move forward with awareness, compassion, and purpose.

At Four Wings Psychology, we offer ACT therapy in the Ottawa area and virtually across Ontario. Our therapists use ACT to help you respond more flexibly to life’s challenges, reduce emotional suffering, and build a life guided by your values - even in the presence of pain, anxiety, or uncertainty.

What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?

ACT (pronounced “act”) is a modern, evidence-based therapy that combines mindfulness, behavioural science, and values-based action. Rather than trying to get rid of distressing thoughts or emotions, ACT helps you change your relationship with them so they no longer dictate your choices or define who you are.

ACT helps you:

  • Accept thoughts and emotions without judgment or avoidance
  • Create distance from unhelpful mental patterns (cognitive defusion)
  • Clarify personal values - what truly matters to you
  • Commit to action that aligns with those values
  • Build psychological flexibility - the ability to stay grounded and purposeful, even in discomfort

ACT isn’t about “thinking positive.” It’s about making room for both difficulty and meaning - learning to live fully, even when life feels uncertain.

What Can ACT Help With?

ACT is a well-researched, adaptable approach that supports a wide range of emotional and behavioural concerns. It’s especially helpful when you feel stuck - not because of what you feel, but because of how you relate to what you feel.

ACT can help with:

  • Anxiety and panic
  • Depression and low motivation
  • Burnout and chronic stress
  • Obsessive thoughts or compulsive behaviours (OCD)
  • Trauma and post-traumatic stress (PTSD)
  • Perfectionism, overthinking, or self-criticism
  • Chronic pain or health-related challenges
  • Life transitions and identity changes
  • Grief, loss, and existential distress

What to Expect in ACT Therapy at Four Wings Psychology

ACT sessions at Four Wings Psychology are experiential, collaborative, and grounded in compassion. Together, you’ll explore what matters most to you and learn practical tools to navigate life’s challenges with greater openness and intention.

In ACT therapy, you may:

  • Practice mindfulness and self-awareness
  • Clarify your values - the compass points that guide your life
  • Learn how to unhook from distressing thoughts and beliefs
  • Use metaphors, imagery, and experiential exercises
  • Build action plans that align with your goals and values
  • Develop self-compassion, resilience, and a sense of meaning

You don’t have to wait until you “feel better” to live a meaningful life. ACT helps you hold both - healing and growth, discomfort and direction - at the same time.

Why Choose Four Wings Psychology for ACT

At Four Wings Psychology, therapy is grounded in science and guided by humanity. Our clinicians are trained in ACT and other evidence-based approaches, ensuring care that is both structured and deeply personal.

Our approach is:

  • Evidence-based and client-centered - integrating ACT with CBT, mindfulness, and emotion-focused care
  • Trauma-informed and compassionate, promoting emotional safety
  • LGBTQ2S+ affirming and culturally responsive
  • Accessible - in-person therapy in Nepean and virtual sessions across Ontario
  • Collaborative - tailored to your pace, goals, and lived experience

Whether you’re coping with anxiety, grief, burnout, or uncertainty, ACT offers tools to help you move from survival toward intentional, values-driven living.

Ready to Live More Freely and Authentically?

You don’t have to wait until life feels perfect to start living it. ACT helps you make peace with your inner world and take meaningful steps toward what matters most.

At Four Wings Psychology, we’ll help you build a life that feels rich, full, and aligned with your values - one that honours both your pain and your potential.

GET HELP WITH ACT

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