Free ACT Matrix Worksheet: Mapping Toward and Away Moves
ACT · ACT · Clinical consensus
A structured, fillable version of the ACT Matrix (Polk and Schoendorff): a four-quadrant map that helps a client see, on one page, how much of their day is organised around moving away from discomfort rather than toward what matters to them, without needing ACT terminology explained first.
Underlying mechanism: Functional-Contextual Mapping of Experiential Avoidance and Values-Directed Action
What it helps with
- Anchoring the session in something concrete: a specific person or thing the client cares about, rather than an abstract value statement.
- Sorting the client's recent experience into what shows up around them and what shows up inside them, each split into moving away and moving toward.
- Naming away moves: things the client does to avoid or get rid of a difficult thought or feeling, and what that costs them over time.
- Naming toward moves: things the client does in service of what matters, even while a difficult thought or feeling is present.
- Agreeing one small, specific toward move to try before the next session.
How clinicians use it
- Introduce in session one or two as a case-formulation and engagement tool. Most clients find the four-quadrant sort intuitive without needing the underlying theory explained first.
- Draw it collaboratively on paper or a whiteboard in the room, then use the printed sheet as the record. A pre-filled sheet handed over as homework misses most of the value.
- Revisit briefly in later sessions as a shared shorthand, asking simply "was that a toward move or an away move?" rather than redrawing the full matrix each time.
- For clients who find open sorting overwhelming, including some ADHD clients, offer one example in each quadrant before asking them to add their own, and keep the first pass to two or three items per quadrant rather than an exhaustive list.
- For autistic clients, keep the "what shows up for you" prompts concrete and specific rather than asking about feelings in the abstract, and allow extra time between quadrants rather than moving through all four in one pass.
- Pair with a values clarification worksheet to build out the toward side once the pattern is visible, and an avoidance cycle worksheet when away-move content is driven by a specific feared situation.
Clinical Implementation Guide
- Anchor first: name a specific person or thing that matters before sorting any quadrant.
- Sort behaviour before theory: ask what the client did, not what the behaviour "means," and let the pattern speak for itself.
- Keep the first pass short: two or three items per quadrant is enough to make the pattern visible.
What the worksheet looks like
| Quadrant | Prompt | Client Example |
|---|---|---|
| Away moves (behaviour) | What do you do to avoid or get rid of the difficult thoughts and feelings? | Cancel plans, avoid answering the phone, stay in bed later than planned. |
| Away-linked internal experience | What shows up inside you alongside those away moves? | "I will let everyone down." Anxiety, heaviness, a tight chest. |
| Toward moves (behaviour) | What do you do in service of what matters, even when discomfort is present? | Text a friend back, go to the gym session already booked, keep a work commitment. |
| Toward-linked five senses | What do you notice around you when you are moving toward what matters? | A friend's voice on the phone, the gym floor underfoot, the feeling of finishing a task. |
Clinical cautions
The matrix is a flexible engagement and case-formulation tool, not a diagnostic instrument, and should be introduced collaboratively rather than handed over as a worksheet to complete alone. For a client in acute crisis or with a significant dissociative presentation, prioritise stabilisation and safety planning before introducing experiential or psychological-flexibility work. This worksheet supports face-to-face psychological therapy delivered by a qualified practitioner. It does not diagnose any condition and is not a crisis resource.
References
- Polk, K. L., & Schoendorff, B. (Eds.). (2014). The ACT matrix: A new approach to building psychological flexibility across settings and populations. New Harbinger Publications.
- Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K. D., & Wilson, K. G. (2011). Acceptance and commitment therapy: The process and practice of mindful change (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
Part of
ACT Matrix Toolkit