ACT worksheets, made beautiful.
Every Acceptance and Commitment Therapy worksheet you reach for in session — defusion, leaves on a stream, acceptance, choice point, values compass, committed action, self-as-context — in one place. Free, print-ready, and clinically tight.
Values Compass
ACT — name the directions that matter, not the goals
Twelve life domains, a single chosen value per domain, and one committed action this week. The compass, not the destination.
Cognitive Defusion
ACT — eight ways to unhook from a sticky thought
Sing it, say it slowly, name the story, thank the mind — small moves that turn a believed thought into a noticed one.
Leaves on a Stream
ACT — a guided mindfulness exercise for thoughts
Place each thought on a leaf and watch it drift past. Build the muscle of noticing thoughts without chasing them.
Acceptance & Willingness
ACT — stop the struggle, make room for what's here
A worksheet to see what struggling costs you, and to dial up willingness one small step at a time.
Choice Point
ACT — toward or away in the moment that matters
Map the hooks that pull you away from values and the moves that pull you toward them. A single decision diagram for the day.
Values Card Sort
Force-rank 30 values to surface what actually matters
Thirty values, four columns (most me / important / less so / not me). The sorting is the intervention — clients learn what they're prioritizing by accident.
Observer Self — The Sky and the Weather
An ACT exercise for the part of you that watches
The thoughts, feelings, and roles are weather; the sky behind them is what you are. A guided sequence to drop into the observer perspective.
Committed Action Plan
One value, one action, this week, in writing
Name the value, the smallest concrete action, the day and time, and the predicted obstacle. Values without action are inert.
Values Worksheet
Six life domains, what matters there, one aligned action
A simpler companion to the values compass and card sort. For each domain, name what you care about, rate current alignment, and pick one values-aligned action for the week.
What ACT worksheets do
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy works by building psychological flexibility — the ability to stay in contact with the present moment, hold thoughts and feelings lightly, and move in a valued direction even when the internal weather is hard. The worksheets in this library are the formats Hayes, Strosahl, Wilson, and Harris taught: defusion practices that loosen the grip of sticky thoughts, acceptance exercises that let unwanted feelings have space, values clarification tools that locate the compass, and committed-action planners that turn values into the next concrete step.
Every sheet is a single printable side. Use them as homework, as in-session structure, or as a reference handout for a client learning the ACT model.
Where to start
Start with the Values Compass. ACT is values-driven — the rest of the work only matters in the context of what the client cares about. Move to the Choice Point worksheet once values are named; it pairs cleanly with weekly behavior tracking and gives the client a simple binary to watch in real time (toward-move or away-move).
Add defusion (Leaves on a Stream, the Defusion sheet) once the client has the meta-position to watch a thought without immediately believing or arguing with it. Acceptance and Self-as-Context work tends to land later, often after defusion has loosened the most automatic content. Committed Action is the bridge back out — values plus the smallest concrete step you'll actually take.
Free to print, free to send
Every worksheet is free to download as PDF and free to send to clients via secure link from your TherapistAssist account. No watermarks, no per-sheet limits.
Frequently asked questions
What are ACT worksheets?+
ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) worksheets are structured one-page handouts that operationalize the six core processes of psychological flexibility: cognitive defusion, acceptance, present-moment contact, self-as-context, values, and committed action. Each worksheet turns one process into a concrete page a client can fill out between sessions.
Which ACT worksheet should I start with?+
For most clients, start with the Values Compass — ACT is values-driven, and the rest of the work only matters in the context of what the client cares about. Once values are named, the Choice Point worksheet pairs cleanly with weekly behavior tracking. Defusion worksheets come in later, once a client has the meta-position to watch their thoughts.
What's the difference between ACT and CBT?+
CBT works to change the content of thoughts (challenge a thought, replace it with a balanced one). ACT works to change the relationship to thoughts (notice the thought, defuse from it, choose action anyway based on values). Both can be effective; ACT is often a better fit for clients who have plateaued on traditional CBT or where the thought-content battles aren't moving affect.
Are these ACT worksheets free?+
Yes. Every ACT worksheet in this library is free to download as a printable PDF and free to send to clients via secure link from a TherapistAssist account. No watermarks, no per-sheet limits.
Can I use these in group therapy?+
Yes. The Values Compass and Choice Point worksheets work particularly well in groups — values sharing builds cohesion, and choice point reviews work as a weekly between-session structure for an ACT-based process group.