Acceptance and Commitment Therapy or ACT (said as one word and not spelled out) is a behavioral treatment that is based in the idea that our suffering comes not from the experience of emotional pain, but from our attempted avoidance of that pain, which is only effective in the short-run and may cause greater problems in the long-run. Its overarching goal is to help people be open to and willing to have their inner experiences while focusing attention not on trying to escape or avoid pain (because this is impossible to do) but instead, on living a meaningful life -- a life that is consistent with who we want to be and what we want to stand for (for example, being a good parent).
It is used as a treatment for PTSD and other mental health disorders.
