Acceptance and Commitment ACT Therapy Calgary
Most approaches to anxiety and difficult emotions focus on getting rid of them. ACT takes a different route: rather than fighting your thoughts and feelings, you learn to make room for them while still moving toward the life you actually want. At Solasta, our registered psychologists and registered provisional psychologists use ACT to help you build that kind of psychological flexibility.
What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?
ACT combines mindfulness with values-based action. Instead of avoiding or suppressing uncomfortable emotions, you learn to observe and accept them as a natural part of life — and to take meaningful action aligned with your values even while those difficult thoughts and feelings are present. The goal isn’t feeling better first and then living well; it’s learning to live well alongside whatever you’re feeling. At Solasta, ACT is often woven into individual counselling rather than delivered as a standalone track, since it tends to work best combined with the specific approach your presentation calls for.
ACT is organized around six core processes that move you from feeling stuck to becoming more psychologically flexible.
Cognitive Defusion
Learning to observe your thoughts from a distance rather than becoming entangled in them — seeing a thought as just a thought, not a command you have to obey.
Acceptance
Allowing yourself to experience uncomfortable emotions and sensations without resistance. This doesn’t mean approving of them, just letting them be present without letting them dictate your actions.
Being Present (Mindfulness)
Staying engaged with the current moment instead of getting pulled into past regret or future worry — one of the more direct routes ACT offers for interrupting anxious or depressive rumination.
Self-as-Context
Learning to see yourself as the observer of your thoughts and feelings rather than as those thoughts and feelings — creating room for self-compassion once you’re no longer fused with every passing reaction.
Values Clarification
Getting genuinely clear on what matters to you — relationships, growth, health, creativity, whatever it is — so your actions have real direction instead of just reacting to discomfort.
Committed Action
Taking concrete steps toward your values even when it’s uncomfortable, which is where the actual, lasting change in ACT tends to happen.
Who Can Benefit from ACT
Anxiety and Stress
ACT helps you engage with life despite anxiety, rather than waiting for anxiety to go away first — often a faster path forward than trying to eliminate the worry itself.
Depression
By shifting focus from avoiding painful emotions toward taking values-based action, ACT helps break the cycle that keeps depression self-reinforcing.
Trauma and PTSD
ACT supports processing traumatic memories and emotions without becoming overwhelmed by them, working alongside more direct trauma-processing approaches when needed.
Chronic Pain
ACT helps you build a meaningful life alongside chronic pain rather than putting life on hold until the pain resolves — a genuinely different approach than pain-elimination-focused strategies.
Relationship Issues
Accepting difficult emotions and communicating from your values, rather than from reactivity, tends to open up healthier patterns for both individuals and couples.
Life Transitions
Career changes, moves, and major life events bring uncertainty ACT is well-suited for — it doesn’t require the uncertainty to resolve before you can act.
What to Expect in ACT Therapy at Solasta
ACT at Solasta isn’t a generic add-on — it’s a genuine focus for four of our clinicians, each bringing it into their work differently. Sarah Choudhry draws primarily from ACT to help clients build a more flexible, empowered relationship with their thoughts and emotions. David Tamagi integrates ACT alongside CBT, tailoring the combination to what each client actually needs. Marissa Whalley specializes in ACT directly. Jocelyn Simpson draws on ACT alongside emotion-focused and cognitive behavioural approaches as part of a broader, integrative practice.
Calgary Counselling and Psychology Services
Our Calgary psychologists have a wide range of experience and expertise in understanding the unique needs of our clients and helping you reach your therapy goals.
CAP
All of our psychologists are registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists.
PAA
Many of our psychologists are members of the Psychologists’ Association of Alberta.
CCPA
Many of our psychologists are members of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association.
Therapists Specializing in ACT Therapy
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Our Calgary Office Space
Our thoughtfully designed counselling spaces are crafted to create a warm, welcoming environment where you can feel completely at ease.
Get Started With Solasta in Three Easy Steps
Find Your Therapist
Book Online
Choose a date and time that fits your schedule and receive instant confirmation of your appointment.
In-person or Online
Visit our welcoming Calgary office or meet with your therapist online from the comfort of your home.
FAQs
How is ACT different from CBT?
CBT generally focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts directly. ACT takes a different approach — instead of trying to change or eliminate difficult thoughts, you learn to relate to them differently and act on your values regardless of what you’re thinking or feeling. The two are often used together.
Do I need to get rid of anxiety before I can start living the life I want?
No — that’s the core idea ACT challenges. Rather than waiting for anxiety or difficult emotions to disappear, ACT helps you move toward what matters to you while those feelings are still present.
How many sessions does ACT typically take?
ACT is generally short-term and structured. Many clients notice meaningful shifts within a handful of sessions, though this depends on what you’re working through and your specific goals.
Can ACT help with chronic pain even though it's not a "mental health" issue?
Yes. ACT doesn’t treat the pain itself, but it’s well-established for helping people build a meaningful life alongside chronic pain rather than putting life on hold waiting for the pain to resolve.
Is this covered by insurance?
Sessions with a Registered Psychologist are covered by most extended health benefit plans. Solasta offers direct billing to 30+ insurers. Visit our fees page to confirm coverage and see typical session rates.
Is ACT available online?
Yes — available online across Alberta, as well as in person at our Calgary office.