ACT Worksheets Library
A free, clinician-reviewed collection of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy tools to help you unhook from difficult thoughts and move toward what matters.
About this tool
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT, said as one word) is a modern, evidence-based form of behavioral therapy. Instead of trying to control or get rid of difficult thoughts and feelings, ACT teaches you to make room for them while you take action toward the life you want. The aim is not to feel good all the time, but to live well: to build a rich, meaningful life guided by your values, even when uncomfortable inner experiences show up.
ACT rests on six interconnected processes, often summarized as psychological flexibility: contacting the present moment, acceptance, cognitive defusion (unhooking from thoughts), the observing self, values, and committed action. The worksheets in this library each target one or more of these processes, so you can build the whole skill set over time.
Many of ACT's most powerful tools are metaphors and experiential exercises rather than logical arguments, because struggling with your own mind by reasoning with it often makes the struggle worse. Practices like Leaves on a Stream and Passengers on the Bus give you a felt sense of stepping back from your thoughts, which is hard to reach through explanation alone.
All of these tools are free, run entirely in your browser, and produce a clean PDF. Nothing you write is stored or sent anywhere.
- Hayes SC, Strosahl KD, Wilson KG. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: The Process and Practice of Mindful Change. 2nd ed. Guilford Press; 2012.
- Harris R. The Happiness Trap. 2nd ed. Trumpeter; 2022.
- A-Tjak JGL, et al. A meta-analysis of the efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy for clinically relevant mental and physical health problems. Psychother Psychosom. 2015;84(1):30-36.
ACT Worksheets Library FAQ
What is ACT?
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is an evidence-based therapy that helps you accept difficult thoughts and feelings rather than fight them, while taking committed action toward your values. The goal is psychological flexibility: a meaningful life lived even alongside discomfort.
Which ACT worksheet should I start with?
Most people start by clarifying their values, then learn defusion to unhook from unhelpful thoughts, then build a committed action plan. The metaphors and the observing self exercise add depth along the way.
How is ACT different from CBT?
Traditional CBT often works to challenge and change the content of distorted thoughts. ACT focuses less on whether a thought is true and more on whether holding it tightly is workable, teaching you to make room for thoughts and feelings while acting on your values.
Are these a substitute for therapy?
They are helpful self-help tools and a good complement to therapy, but not a replacement, especially for persistent or severe difficulties.