ACTaide was created to address a common but critical challenge in psychotherapy: Most clients do not practice therapeutic exercises between sessions. Despite strong evidence that between-session practice improves outcomes, many clients face barriers such as low motivation, limited time, or simply forgetting how the exercise works. This gap between what happens in session and what gets practiced in daily life limits the long-term impact of therapy. Our mission is to bridge that gap. ACTaide empowers clients to carry therapy forward through intuitive, image-guided versions of core ACT metaphors and experiential exercises.
Unlike most mental health apps, ACTaide is grounded in empirical research and co-designed with end users. Through two proof-of-concept studies, we demonstrated that delivering ACT exercises via annotated image sequences enhances users' ability to learn and remember the exercises (Carriere et al., 2024; Smyth et al., under review). We co-developed the app with therapists and clients in a user-centered design process. This resulted in an app that both groups described as user-friendly and intuitive (Thapar, Quesada, & Knäuper, in press). We are currently preparing to evaluate the app's efficacy in a randomized controlled trial.
ACTaide is designed as a companion to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for clients and therapists. Clients can use the app between sessions to practice exercises introduced by their therapist, making it easier to apply ACT skills in everyday life. The app is free and publicly available, making it accessible for individuals using ACT self-help resources or exploring ACT on their own. For therapists, ACTaide offers a structured, evidence-based way to support clients' between-session engagement. By recommending ACTaide, therapists can enhance client motivation, reinforce skill development, and promote more consistent practice of metaphors and experiential exercises introduced in therapy.