Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in Philadelphia, PA
Evidence-Based ACT Therapy In Philadelphia, Delaware, New Jersey, and Across 43 States
Many people come to therapy hoping to get rid of uncomfortable thoughts, emotions, or experiences; however, that can leave you feeling worse than before. Painful thoughts and emotions are a natural part of being human, but you can change your relationship with them so they don’t hijack your life.
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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based approach to therapy that I use in my practice in Philadelphia. Instead of eliminating difficult thoughts and feelings, ACT helps you develop a new relationship with them so they have less control over your life. I use ACT to help clients build psychological flexibility, reconnect with what matters most to them, and take meaningful action even when life feels challenging.
What Is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)?
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a type of therapy that helps people learn how to handle difficult thoughts and emotions without letting those experiences take over their choices in life.
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One of the things I appreciate most about ACT is that it is often made to sound far more complicated than it really is. In session, we'll use simple language and focus on a practical question: "Is what you're doing working for you?"
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If a behavior, coping strategy, or thought pattern isn't helping you move toward the life you want, we explore what might work better.
Conditions ACT Therapy Helps With
ACT is a highly effective form of therapy for many different concerns, including:
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Anxiety disorders, like OCD or Generalized Anxiety Disorder
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Depression and self-criticism
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Chronic stress, major life transitions, and perfectionism
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Other difficult emotions that feel overwhelming
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I often find that ACT resonates with people who feel trapped in a constant struggle with their thoughts. Many clients tell me things like “I can’t stop overthinking” or “I know what I should do, but I can’t seem to do it.” If you also feel like that sometimes, ACT can help you create a better path forward.
My Approach To Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT is highly collaborative, and ACT therapy with me will not involve lecturing or simply telling you what to do. Instead, I want your involvement and perspective throughout the process. Depending on your needs and goals, I might also integrate other approaches like ERP or CBT.
How ACT With Me Works
In session, we might spend time exploring:
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What matters most to you
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Which behaviors are helping you move toward your goals
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Which behaviors are pulling you away from them
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What happens when anxiety or self-doubt shows up
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How you respond to difficult thoughts
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One concept I frequently discuss is the idea of Toward Moves and Away Moves. A Toward Move is an action that brings you closer to your values. An Away Move is an action that pulls you further from the life you want. We’ll work together so you feel comfortable moving towards your goals and values, not away from them.
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What I appreciate most is that ACT helps people stop organizing their lives around fear, anxiety, uncertainty, or discomfort. Instead, they begin organizing their lives around their values. That shift can be incredibly powerful.
Client Testimonial
“Dr. Siegel has been someone who I have turned to for the last few years with my anxiety, OCD, and compulsive thinking struggles. He has always been willing to listen to my problems and provide recommendations backed by the current clinical understanding of anxiety and OCD to help me improve my mental wellbeing. As someone who is very practical, his approach to addressing my rumination and habitual thinking has given me tools to deal with these issues when the rear their ugly head. He has been caring, professional, and patient, understanding it is a marathon and not a sprint to improving mental health. He consistently works on his craft so I can become the best me possible. I’m thankful for his commitment to care and guidance when I need it most”
Anonymous, Old City, PA
The Six Core Principles of ACT
The central goal of ACT is to help you develop psychological flexibility. Psychological flexibility is the ability to experience difficult thoughts or emotions while continuing to take meaningful action in line with your values. We do this work through six core principles.
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1. Acceptance
Acceptance involves learning to make room for uncomfortable emotions rather than constantly fighting them. You practice allowing yourself to feel your emotions and create enough space to make an intentional choice that reflects your values.
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2. Cognitive Defusion
Many people believe that their thoughts are unquestionable facts. Cognitive defusion teaches you to step back from thoughts instead of automatically believing or obeying them.
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For example, if you are struggling with perfectionism, you might think: "If I don't do this perfectly, I'll fail." This might cause you to procrastinate, overwork, or avoid starting altogether. ACT will give you the skills to be present with that thought so that it doesn’t control your next decisions.
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3. Contact With the Present Moment
When you are caught up in regret, worry, or comparison, it can be difficult to engage the here and now. Together, we will develop the ability to stay grounded in what is happening right now instead of becoming consumed by worries about the future or regrets about the past.
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4. Self-as-Context
You are more than your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. ACT helps you recognize that. You may be dealing with a challenging thought, emotion, or season of life. While your experiences deserve recognition, that doesn’t fully represent who you are.
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5. Values
Your values are your North Star: the qualities and directions you want to embody in your life. In your ACT sessions, I’ll help you clarify what truly matters to you.
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6. Committed Action
Next, I’ll help you take realistic steps toward your values. Even if discomfort comes up, you are still capable of taking action in your life that matters to you.
Online ACT Therapy In Philadelphia & 43+ States
I provide secure telehealth sessions throughout Philadelphia and Pennsylvania, including Center City, University City, Rittenhouse Square, North Philly, and South Philly.
Whether you’re in the Philadelphia area or not, I practice therapy in over 43 states. Online sessions are flexible, convenient, and proven to be just as effective as in-person therapy.
Take The First Step Toward Emotional Wellness Today
If you're tired of feeling controlled by anxiety, overthinking, self-doubt, or emotional struggles, ACT may help you build a different relationship with those experiences.
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I provide Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for individuals throughout Philadelphia and 43+ other states, helping people reconnect with their values and move toward the life they want to live.
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Whether you live in Philadelphia or across the country, discuss your goals with me during a free 15-minute consultation and see if it's the right fit.
What does ACT therapy help with?
ACT can help with anxiety, depression, stress, perfectionism, life transitions, and many other emotional or behavioral concerns. I also often use it alongside ERP to help individuals with OCD respond differently to their intrusive thoughts and anxiety.
Do I need ACT Therapy or another type of therapy?
You may benefit from ACT if you find yourself spending a lot of time or effort trying to control your thoughts or emotions. If you continually avoid uncomfortable situations, get stuck in worry or self-criticism, make choices based on fear, or feel disconnected from the life you really want, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy may be worth exploring.
How long does ACT therapy take?
The length of therapy varies depending on your goals, symptoms, and individual needs. Many clients begin noticing increased awareness and flexibility within the first several sessions.
How do I know if my ACT sessions are working?
One of the biggest challenges people encounter with ACT is accepting that they may never achieve complete certainty, comfort, or control over their thoughts. At first, you might still want to avoid discomfort through unhelpful actions. One of the most encouraging signs of progress that I see is when clients begin to recognize that what they've been doing to cope isn't working, and that they can handle far more than they initially believed.
Will I need to do homework between sessions?
Like many evidence-based therapies, ACT works best when it's practiced outside the therapy office. Our sessions help you understand the new skills, but meaningful change happens when you begin applying them in everyday situations. The more consistently these skills are practiced, the more natural they tend to become. The goal is not perfection. The goal is to increase awareness and create more opportunities to choose actions that help you build the life you really want.
What’s the difference between CBT, ERP, and ACT?
CBT helps you understand and shift thought-behavior patterns. ERP helps you face fear without relying on rituals. ACT helps you move toward what matters, even when discomfort is present. These modalities often work well together, and we can integrate any of them into your sessions.
Do you accept insurance?
As a specialist in the treatment of anxiety and OCD, I operate as an out-of-network provider. I am happy to provide the necessary documentation for submission to your insurance company, enabling you to explore potential out-of-network reimbursement options.​