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CBT and ACT come from the same broad family of behavioural therapies and look similar on the surface. The deeper philosophies are genuinely different. CBT changes the content of your thinking. ACT changes your relationship with your thinking. Both work. The right choice depends on what you actually need. Here is the comparison from Curio Counselling Calgary.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy identifies the thoughts, behaviours, and patterns maintaining a problem and works to change them. The work is structured, present-focused, and time-limited. The evidence base for anxiety disorders, depression, OCD, panic, and phobias is extensive. CBT assumes that distorted thinking can be identified, tested, and replaced with more accurate or helpful thinking.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT, pronounced as one word) uses six core processes: acceptance of difficult emotions, defusion from unhelpful thoughts, present-moment awareness, self-as-context, values clarification, and committed action. The goal is psychological flexibility: the ability to be present with what is, including the painful, while moving toward what matters to you.
ACT has strong evidence for anxiety, depression, chronic pain, OCD, and a wide range of conditions where struggling with internal experience is part of the problem.
CBT works to change the content of unhelpful thoughts. ACT works to change your relationship with thoughts so the content matters less.
CBT: "Is this worry accurate? Let's test it." ACT: "Worry is here. Notice the worry. Now what would the person you want to be do next?"
CBT and ACT integrate well in actual clinical practice. Many clinicians use CBT skills for specific symptom work and ACT for values and meaning work in the same arc of treatment. The combination is particularly useful when a client has a clear symptom presentation but also wants to address the bigger life questions underneath.
The question is usually about the client's relationship with their own distress. If the client wants to challenge and change unhelpful thinking, CBT is often the better fit. If the client has been trying to control or eliminate uncomfortable emotions for years without success, ACT often offers the relief that comes from stopping the fight.
Curio clinicians are trained across CBT, ACT, and other evidence-based approaches. Some therapists primarily use ACT (particularly for clients in burnout, late-diagnosis ADHD, or values work), and many integrate both. Free 20-minute consultations let you discuss your situation before booking.
Book a free 20-minute consultation with a Curio Counselling Calgary clinician. Describe what you are working on and what you have tried.
Curio Counselling Calgary is at 1414 8 St SW Suite 200, Calgary, AB T2R 1J6, in the Beltline. Phone 403-243-0303. In-person and virtual sessions across Alberta.
EFT and the Gottman Method are the two most evidence-supported approaches in couples therapy. They look almost nothing alike in session. They produce comparable outcomes for couples in distress. The choice depends on the kind of couple you are and the kind of work you want to do. Here is the comparison from Curio Counselling Calgary.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), developed by Sue Johnson, is an attachment-based couples therapy. The work identifies the negative interaction cycle the couple is stuck in, surfaces the underlying attachment emotions driving the cycle, and helps each partner respond to the other's vulnerabilities in new ways. The result is a shift from the destructive cycle to a secure attachment bond.
EFT is rooted in attachment theory and treats most couples conflict as the protest of two attached people who feel disconnected. The evidence base for EFT is strong, with most studied couples showing significant improvement.
The Gottman Method, developed by John and Julie Gottman, is built on decades of research in their "Love Lab" observing couples. The work identifies specific behaviours that predict relationship failure (the Four Horsemen: criticism, contempt, defensiveness, stonewalling) and teaches concrete skills to replace them. The approach uses tools like the Sound Relationship House framework, soft start-ups, repair attempts, and structured rituals of connection.
Gottman is research-driven, behaviour-focused, and skill-oriented. The evidence base is strong, with comparable outcomes to EFT.
EFT works with the emotional bond and attachment dynamics underneath the conflict. Gottman works with the specific behaviours and patterns in the conflict itself.
EFT goes deep into the felt emotion. Gottman builds practical skills the couple can apply immediately.
Many Calgary couples therapists integrate both. Gottman tools (especially the Four Horsemen awareness, soft start-ups, and repair attempts) can stabilize the conflict so EFT-style attachment work can happen safely. Or EFT work surfaces the emotional layer first, and Gottman tools consolidate the behavioural changes.
The choice often depends on the couple's communication style. Couples who can access and express emotion benefit from EFT directly. Couples who escalate, shut down, or struggle with emotional language often need Gottman tools first to create the conditions where deeper work can happen.
The couples therapists at Curio Counselling Calgary are trained in EFT, Gottman, or both, and match the approach to the couple in front of them. Free 20-minute consultations let either partner discuss the situation before booking.
Book a free 20-minute consultation with a Curio Counselling Calgary couples therapist. The call helps clarify which approach fits and which clinician is the right match.
Curio Counselling Calgary is at 1414 8 St SW Suite 200, Calgary, AB T2R 1J6, in the Beltline. Phone 403-243-0303. In-person and virtual sessions across Alberta.
EMDR is the most widely-recognized trauma treatment. ART is the lesser-known cousin that often produces faster results. Both use bilateral stimulation. Both have evidence behind them. The choice depends on how you want to do the work and what your nervous system tolerates. Here is the comparison from Curio Counselling Calgary.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a structured 8-phase trauma protocol using bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, audio) while the client holds a distressing memory in mind. The protocol involves history-taking, preparation, assessment of the target memory, desensitization through repeated sets of bilateral stimulation, installation of a positive belief, body scan, closure, and reevaluation.
EMDR has the largest evidence base of any trauma treatment and is endorsed by the WHO, the APA, and most major trauma research bodies.
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), developed by Laney Rosenzweig in 2008, also uses bilateral eye movements but follows a different protocol. ART uses imagery rescripting: the client mentally replays a distressing memory while doing eye movements, and then deliberately changes the imagery to something less distressing or more empowering. The original memory remains accessible but its emotional charge is reduced.
ART has growing evidence and is recognized as an evidence-based practice by SAMHSA. Many clients see significant resolution in 1 to 5 sessions, faster than typical EMDR timelines.
EMDR processes the memory through bilateral stimulation until the brain integrates it naturally. ART processes the memory by deliberately rescripting the imagery the client holds about it.
EMDR is less directive about what changes. ART is more directive: you actively choose new imagery.
The two approaches use overlapping mechanisms and can be sequenced or alternated. Many trauma clinicians use ART for clients who need faster relief and EMDR for deeper or more complex work. Some clients respond better to one than the other, which is something the clinician will assess.
The deciding factors are usually the complexity of the trauma, the client's preference for directive versus exploratory work, and how the nervous system responds to each protocol. A clinician trained in both can offer the choice and adjust.
Several Curio Counselling Calgary clinicians are trained in EMDR, ART, or both. The intake matches you to a clinician whose toolkit fits your situation. Free 20-minute consultations let you ask about both approaches.
Book a free 20-minute consultation with a Curio Counselling Calgary clinician trained in trauma work.
Curio Counselling Calgary is at 1414 8 St SW Suite 200, Calgary, AB T2R 1J6, in the Beltline. Phone 403-243-0303. In-person and virtual sessions across Alberta.
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