The length of time you’ll need to attend acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) depends on several factors, including your goals, mental health condition, therapist’s approach, and commitment to practice outside of sessions.
- Typical duration of ACT therapy
-
- Short-term (6–12 sessions):
-
-
- Many ACT programs are structured as brief interventions, lasting 6–12 weekly sessions (1–3 months).
- Effective for mild-to-moderate anxiety, depression, stress, or life challenges.
-
-
- Medium-term (3–6 months):
-
-
- Some individuals may need 12–24 sessions (3–6 months) to see lasting benefits.
- Common for people working through chronic stress, relationship issues, or major life changes.
-
-
- Long-term (6+ months to ongoing):
-
-
- For those with chronic conditions (long-term depression, PTSD, OCD, or chronic pain), therapy may last 6 months to a year or more.
- Some people choose to continue ACT as maintenance therapy for persistent growth.
-
Example: Someone with generalized anxiety might attend weekly sessions for 3 months, then biweekly or monthly sessions as they become more independent in using ACT skills.
-
- Severity of your condition
More sessions may be needed if symptoms are severe.
-
- Your personal goals
Therapy may be shorter if you have a specific goal, such as managing work stress.
-
- How often you attend therapy
Weekly sessions may lead to faster progress than biweekly or monthly ones.
-
- Your willingness to practice ACT skills
ACT is skill-based, which means the more you practice outside of therapy, the quicker you’ll see results.
-
- The therapist’s approach
Some therapists use structured ACT programs, like 8-session models, while others offer open-ended support.
Join our forum and Facebook
Please consider joining our forum and Facebook if you enjoyed reading this and would like to chat with like-minded peers about anything depression related.
It would certainly go a long way toward making my dream of creating a thriving, supportive community a reality!
