Stop fighting your thoughts. Start living by your values.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) — a distinctive approach that changes not what you think, but your relationship with your thoughts. Available online and in-person across England. Free 15-minute consultation. From £65.
NCPS Organisational Member
Evidence-based third-wave CBT
Free 15-minute consultation
★ ★ ★ ★ ★“I had spent years trying to argue with my own thoughts. ACT taught me a different relationship with them — one I did not know was possible.”
Client who worked with ACT
1,000+
People supported
90+
Qualified therapists
5 ★
Website Testimonials
20+
Counties across England
A different kind of relationship with your mind
Most approaches to psychological difficulty share a common assumption: that the goal is to reduce or eliminate the thoughts and feelings that cause suffering. Reduce the anxiety. Challenge the negative thoughts. Replace the unhelpful beliefs with better ones. For many people, much of the time, this works well. But for a significant number of people — particularly those who have tried hard and find that nothing sticks, or who understand their patterns intellectually but cannot seem to change them — something different is needed.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy takes a different starting point. Rather than trying to reduce difficult thoughts and feelings, it aims to change your relationship with them. The insight at ACT’s core is this: it is not the presence of difficult thoughts that causes suffering — it is the struggle against them. The energy spent fighting, suppressing, and arguing with your own mind is itself exhausting and counterproductive. ACT proposes that when we stop fighting and instead learn to observe our thoughts for what they are — mental events, not facts — their power to dictate our behaviour diminishes significantly.
This is paired with a strong emphasis on values and committed action. ACT asks: what actually matters to you? What kind of person do you want to be, and what kind of life do you want to live? When the answer to those questions becomes clearer, and you are less entangled in the war with your own mind, it becomes possible to move towards that life — even in the presence of anxiety, uncertainty, or discomfort.
ACT was developed in the 1980s and is one of the most extensively researched psychological therapies in use today. It is sometimes described as a “third-wave” CBT approach — building on the cognitive-behavioural tradition while incorporating mindfulness and a values-based orientation. It has a strong evidence base for anxiety, depression, chronic pain, OCD, and a wide range of other presentations.
How ACT Works
The six core processes
ACT works through six interconnected processes that together build what the model calls psychological flexibility — the ability to respond to life’s challenges in ways guided by values rather than by avoidance.
1
Cognitive Defusion
Learning to observe your thoughts as thoughts rather than as facts. Instead of being fused with the content of a thought — “I am worthless” — you learn to notice it as a passing mental event: “I notice I’m having the thought that I am worthless.” That distance is transformative.
2
Acceptance
Allowing difficult thoughts, feelings, urges, and memories to exist without fighting them. Not because they are welcome, but because the struggle against them is itself the primary source of suffering. Acceptance is active, not passive — it requires willingness rather than resignation.
3
Present Moment Awareness
Bringing deliberate, non-judgemental attention to the present — what is actually happening right now, as opposed to the mind’s constant commentary on the past or speculation about the future. Closely connected to mindfulness practice.
4
Self as Context
Sometimes called the “observing self” — the part of you that notices thoughts and feelings but is not defined by them. You are not your anxiety. You are not your self-critical voice. You are the awareness in which those things arise and pass
5
Values
Clarifying what genuinely matters to you — how you want to live, who you want to be, what you want to stand for. Values are not goals (they cannot be achieved and ticked off); they are ongoing directions that give life meaning and guide action.
6
Committed Action
Taking effective, values-guided action — including when it is difficult, uncertain, or accompanied by uncomfortable feelings. ACT does not wait for the anxiety to pass before moving forward; it builds the capacity to move forward while the anxiety is present.
Areas of support
What ACT can help with
ACT is particularly suited to situations where avoidance, struggle with thoughts, or a disconnection from what matters are central features.
Anxiety
ACT addresses anxiety not by eliminating it but by reducing its power to constrain your life. Learning to move forward in the presence of anxious thoughts rather than waiting until they have resolved.
Depression
Particularly useful for depression where behavioural withdrawal and loss of meaning are central. ACT reconnects people with what matters and supports values-guided action even when motivation is low.
OCD
ACT is well-suited to OCD — helping people observe obsessional thoughts without engaging in compulsive responses, and building tolerance for uncertainty as part of a valued life.
Perfectionism
For perfectionism driven by harsh self-judgement and fear of failure, ACT creates a different relationship with the inner critic and a values-based alternative to conditional self-worth.
Chronic pain & illness
ACT has one of the strongest evidence bases of any psychological approach for chronic pain and long-term health conditions — building psychological flexibility in relation to pain and loss without denying or minimising them.
Feeling stuck
For people who understand their difficulties intellectually but find that knowledge alone has not produced change — ACT addresses the experiential avoidance and values disconnection that often underlies this kind of stuckness.
ACT & CBT
How ACT relates to CBT
Both are evidence-based. They share foundations but take different paths — understanding the difference helps you choose.
Two approaches, one goal: a fuller, more workable life
For people who understand their difficulties intellectually but find that knowledge alone has not produced change — ACT addresses the experiential avoidance and values disconnection that often underlies this kind of stuckness.
CBT Focuses on ..
- Identifying and challenging unhelpful thoughts
- Testing whether beliefs are accurate
- Replacing negative patterns with more balanced ones
- Changing the content of what you think
- Structured, goal-orientated sessions
ACT Focuses on ..
- Changing your relationship with your thoughts
- Observing thoughts without being caught up in them
- Accepting what cannot be controlled
- Clarifying values and taking committed action
- Building psychological flexibility
Many therapists draw on both approaches. Your therapist will discuss which best fits your situation — or how the two might be usefully combined.
Learn more about CBT →
Getting Started
What to expect
A free, no-obligation consultation is the easiest first step.
1
Free consultation
A relaxed 15-minute conversation to understand where you are and explore whether ACT is likely to be the most useful approach for your situation. We will be direct if something else would serve you better.
2
Matched with a therapist
We match you with one of our qualified therapists experienced in ACT. If the fit doesn’t feel right, we’ll find someone better at no extra cost.
3
Your sessions
ACT is practical and experiential — you will learn skills and practices you can apply between sessions. The pace is always led by you; the tools you build become yours to keep long after therapy ends.
Most clients hear back from us the same working day, and typically begin sessions within a week of the free consultation — depending on your preferences and therapist availability.
Standards you can trust
How we match you with the right therapist experienced in ACT
Choosing a therapist is a personal decision, and we take time to get the match right.
A careful match, not a long list
Therapist availability changes from week to week, so rather than asking you to choose from a directory, we take time during your free 15-minute consultation to understand what you are looking for — and then match you with a therapist suited to your needs.
During the consultation, we will ask about:
- What you would like the work to focus on, and any specific concerns you would like support with
- Whether you would prefer face-to-face counselling, online sessions, or a combination of the two
- Any preferences around therapy approach (counselling, CBT, EMDR, hypnotherapy, mindfulness, ACT, compassion focused therapy and others)
- Day and time availability that works around your life
- Any specialisms that matter to you — for example LGBTQIA+ affirming therapy, neurodiversity-affirming support, or particular life experiences
- Practical preferences — for example therapist gender, age range, or shared lived experience where that matters to you
All therapists we work with are qualified and registered with appropriate UK professional bodies, and we will confirm the most suitable options with you before any sessions begin.
Professional standards across our team
Hope Therapy & Counselling Services has been operating since 2014, and we hold Organisational Membership with the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS). We work in line with the NCPS Code of Ethics and BACP Good Practice, and our wider clinical standards include:
- Qualified, professionally registered therapists across the team — registrations vary per therapist and are confirmed before matching
- Ongoing clinical supervision in line with professional body requirements
- Continuing professional development to maintain and develop practice
- Clear confidentiality standards, with limits explained before sessions begin
- Client-centred, non-judgemental and inclusive practice across all areas of identity and experience
- Founder-led clinical oversight from Ian Stockbridge — MBACP (Senior Accredited) – who continues to lead the practice and oversee its standards
Whether you choose face-to-face counselling near you or online therapy from anywhere in the UK, you can expect to be matched with a therapist who is appropriately qualified and suited to the support you are looking for.
Transparent Pricing
Our fees
No hidden costs. Your fee is confirmed during your free consultation.
ACT Therapy
From £65
per 50-minute session
- Evidence-based ACT approach
- Online via Zoom or telephone
- Face-to-face where available
- Typically 8–12 sessions
Full details on our fees page. Reduced rate options may be available — just ask during your free consultation.
London clients: Location-adjusted rates may apply. Please ask during your free consultation and we will confirm the exact fee before you commit to anything.
A printable overview of our ACT therapy service — useful to keep or share.
What Our Clients Say
Real experiences
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I’d spent years trying to think my way out of the anxiety. ACT gave me a completely different approach — not fighting the thoughts but watching them pass. That shift was the thing that actually worked.
Emma, who sought ACT support for anxiety
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
The idea that I didn’t need to eliminate the fear before I could act on what mattered was new to me. It sounds simple when you say it, but experiencing it in practice genuinely changed things.
Tom, who sought ACT support for perfectionism and avoidance
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Values clarification was the part I wasn’t expecting to find so useful. I had been so caught up in managing symptoms that I’d completely lost sight of what I actually wanted. Getting that back was everything.
Priya, who sought ACT support for depression and loss of direction
Client experiences are unique. Results vary between individuals.
Meet Our Founder
Built by someone who saw the need from the inside
★
SCoPEd Band C
MBACP & SNCPS Senior Accredited
“Having worked for more than 25 years in senior management, I saw the same thing repeatedly — people struggling with mental health and relationship challenges, and so often struggling to access the right support when it was needed. It was out of this recognition of human need that Hope was born.”
Ian Stockbridge founded Hope Therapy after 25+ years leading large commercial teams – watching colleagues carry stress, anxiety, and personal difficulty with nowhere to turn. He retrained rigorously, now holding Senior Accredited status with both the BACP and NCPS, alongside SCoPEd Band C — the highest independent competence verification in the UK counselling profession.
He remains a practising therapist, clinical supervisor, published author of PMDD Uncovered, and co-presenter of The Talk Room Podcast. Hope Therapy was built on the things he saw were most broken – and designed, from the ground up, to do better.
MBACP (Senior Accredited)
SNCPS (Acc)
SCoPEd Band C
BSc (Hons) CBT
PGCert Supervision L7
Quality Award 2024 — 95%+
Common Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)?
ACT is a form of psychological therapy developed in the 1980s, sometimes described as a “third-wave” CBT approach. Rather than trying to challenge or change negative thoughts, ACT helps you change your relationship with your thoughts — learning to observe them without getting caught up in them, accept what is outside your control, and take action guided by your personal values.
How is ACT different from CBT?
CBT focuses primarily on identifying and changing unhelpful thought patterns. ACT takes a different approach: rather than changing what you think, it works on how you relate to your thoughts. ACT does not assume negative thoughts are necessarily inaccurate — it aims to reduce their power to dictate your behaviour, so that your values rather than your anxieties determine how you live.
I’m nervous about starting — is that normal?
Completely. Many of our clients feel the same way. Your counsellor will support you to feel safe and ready before you begin — there’s absolutely no rush.
Does “acceptance” mean giving up or putting up with things?
No. Acceptance in ACT does not mean resignation or passivity. It means allowing difficult thoughts and feelings to be present without fighting them — which paradoxically reduces their power and frees up energy to take meaningful action. ACT always pairs acceptance with committed action guided by values, so the goal is a richer, more engaged life — not simply tolerating discomfort.
What can ACT help with?
ACT has strong evidence for anxiety, depression, chronic pain, OCD, stress, perfectionism, and a wide range of other presentations. It is particularly useful where avoidance — of situations, emotions, or thoughts — has become a central part of the problem, and where someone feels stuck despite understanding their difficulties intellectually.
Is ACT available online?
Yes. All of our therapists offer ACT sessions online via Zoom or telephone. Online ACT is just as effective as in-person work. If you prefer face-to-face sessions, we also have therapists available across England.
How many sessions will I need?
ACT is typically delivered over eight to twelve sessions, though this varies depending on the presenting issue and individual circumstances. Your therapist will give you a realistic indication during your initial sessions and will review progress with you as you go.
Still have questions? The free consultation is the easiest way to ask them — no pressure to book sessions.
Related Support
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Related Therapy Approaches
Conditions ACT can support
London clients: Location-adjusted rates may apply. Please ask during your free consultation and we will confirm the exact fee before you commit to anything.
You do not have to wait until your thoughts feel manageable
A free, no-obligation 15-minute conversation. No pressure, no script — just a chance to be heard, ask questions, and see whether we feel like the right fit.
Get in Touch
Ask us about ACT
Not sure whether ACT, CBT, or counselling is the right approach for you? Send us a message and we will help you figure it out. All enquiries are treated in the strictest confidence.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“From the very first phone call, I felt heard. They didn’t rush me — they helped me work out what I needed.”
Hope Therapy enquiry feedback
NCPS Organisational Member
Est 2014
90+ Qualified Therapists
National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society
British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
British Association for Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapies
Individual registrations vary per therapist. Last reviewed: May 2026.