If you live with anxiety, low mood, or ongoing stress, you may recognise a familiar pattern: trying to push away or fight off unwanted thoughts and feelings, only to find that the struggle itself becomes exhausting. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, usually shortened to ACT, takes a different starting point. Instead of fighting what shows up in your mind, you learn to make room for it and direct your energy towards what genuinely matters to you.
What ACT actually involves
The core idea behind ACT is easy to state, though it takes practice to apply: not every form of pain can simply be solved, but you can learn to relate to it differently. Rather than treating difficult thoughts, memories, or physical sensations as obstacles that must disappear before life can move forward, ACT helps you accept these experiences as part of being human, without letting them dictate your choices.
The second half of the name, commitment, is about staying connected to your personal values. What truly matters to you in your relationships, work, health, or personal growth? ACT supports you in taking concrete, values-driven steps, even while anxiety, doubt, or sadness may still be present in the background.
How ACT differs from CGT
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CGT) typically focuses on identifying unhelpful thought patterns and testing them against reality, then adjusting them where needed. ACT takes a different route. The emphasis here is less on changing the content of a thought and more on changing your relationship with it. A difficult thought does not need to be proven wrong or made to disappear first, instead you learn to notice it simply as a thought, one that does not have to be true or in control. Both approaches are evidence-based and both are used at Mavera GGZ, the right fit depends on your situation and personal preference.
Who can benefit from ACT
ACT is often used for anxiety and persistent worry, long-term or chronic stress, and the psychological dimension of chronic pain or physical complaints. With chronic pain, for example, ACT does not aim to remove the pain itself, but it can help reduce avoidance behaviour and make room again for activities that matter. ACT may also support people experiencing low mood or a reduced sense of purpose, by helping them reconnect with direction and meaning. Any diagnosis discussed during intake is always presented as a preliminary DSM-5 classification, never as a final verdict.
What a session typically looks like
An ACT session usually combines conversation with practical exercises. Your therapist will explore what is currently holding you back or wearing you down, and together you will look at how avoidance of, or struggle against, certain thoughts and feelings plays a role. From there, the work moves into concrete techniques: defusion exercises that help you create distance from sticky thoughts, exploration of personal values, and gradually building behaviour that aligns with those values. Mindfulness-based techniques, such as present-moment awareness exercises, are often part of the process. They help you notice thoughts and feelings more consciously, without reacting to them automatically.
A recognised, evidence-based approach
ACT is internationally recognised as a scientifically grounded treatment within mental healthcare. It has been studied and applied for decades and is one of the established methods used within specialist mental health care in the Netherlands.
ACT at Mavera GGZ
At Mavera GGZ in Rotterdam, our BIG-registered therapists apply ACT in a personal way, tailored to your concerns, background, and language. Treatment is available in Dutch, Turkish, English, Ukrainian, Polish, Uyghur, and Arabic, so you can tell your story in the language you feel most comfortable in.
A referral from your GP is required for specialist mental health care. The average waiting time for an intake is around 6 weeks, and treatment usually starts within about 3 months of referral. Progress is reviewed together at least once every 3 months, so that treatment continues to match what you need.
Mavera GGZ holds contracts with health insurers DSW and RMA/RMO, and has a payment agreement with Zilveren Kruis and VGZ. Keep in mind the mandatory deductible (eigen risico), which is €385 for 2026.
If you need help right now
ACT is not intended for acute crisis situations. If you need urgent help or are concerned about your safety, please call 112 (in the Netherlands) or go to A&E.
Want to know more or get started
Curious whether ACT could be a good fit for your situation? Contact Mavera GGZ by phone on 010 – 254 38 96 or by email at info@maveraggz.nl. We are happy to think it through with you, even if you are still unsure whether this is the right step.
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