The ACT Matrix is a four-quadrant map for exploring who or what matters, difficult internal experiences, actions taken to move away from those experiences, and actions that move towards what matters. Therapists use it collaboratively to examine the function of a response and identify workable choices.
This guide shows how to build the map and work through five fictional examples. Each includes a completed Matrix, therapist prompts, a feasible next step and a review. It is a conversation tool, not a scorecard or a requirement to feel better before acting.
What does the ACT Matrix map?
The Matrix is associated with the work of Kevin Polk, Mark Webster and colleagues. It distinguishes internal experience from observable behaviour, and examines whether actions function to move away from discomfort, towards what matters, or both in a particular context.
Use the following conventional orientation. Other worksheets may arrange or label the spaces differently; clarify the meaning rather than insisting on one layout.
| Experience level | Away / discomfort side — left | Toward / meaningful direction — right |
|---|---|---|
| Above the horizontal line: observable actions | What I do in response to difficult internal experiences, including attempts to escape them. | Actions that support who or what matters. |
| Below the horizontal line: internal experience and meaning | Thoughts, feelings, memories, urges and sensations that show up. | Who or what matters, including personally meaningful directions. |
At the crossing of the lines, a small circle can mark the person noticing the map. This is an invitation to notice different experiences and responses, not a claim that the person has unlimited control over their circumstances.
The right-hand lower space can begin with people, activities, goals or needs; you can clarify qualities of action as the conversation develops. It is not a test of whether the client gives the correct definition of a value. Nor does putting a thought in the lower-left space make it false or bad.
For the broader ACT model and other worksheet choices, see ACT worksheets and the six core processes. The ACT Matrix Worksheet PDF provides a prepared eight-page format with prompts and reflection questions. Blank paper also works.
How to draw and introduce the ACT Matrix
Materials: A landscape page and pen, a whiteboard, or an agreed private shared screen. Use short phrases or spoken responses; the client does not need to write.
Choose one recent, specific situation before mapping an entire life pattern. Explain the task and offer a fictional demonstration or a different format.
Opening invitation: “Could we map one moment together? We’ll look at what matters to you, what showed up inside, and what you did or might do. We can change anything that does not fit.”
- Draw the map: Cross a horizontal line with a vertical line. Label left “away” and right “toward.” Put observable actions above and internal experience/meaning below. Add a small noticing circle at the intersection if useful.
- Begin lower right: Ask: “In this situation, who or what did you care about?” Record the client's own words and explore what those words mean.
- Explore lower left: Ask: “What thoughts, feelings or sensations showed up?” Keep external barriers, such as transport or a manager's demands, in a separate context note.
- Explore upper left: Ask: “What did you do next, and what did that response do for you?” Describe observable actions rather than labels such as “being avoidant.” Explore immediate benefits and later effects.
- Explore upper right: Ask: “What response could support what matters, given the actual circumstances?” Include boundaries, rest, help seeking and access adjustments where relevant.
- Pause at the centre and review: Notice the map together. Agree one feasible response, necessary support and a way to review it. No quadrant has to be filled perfectly.
This is a practical teaching sequence, not a rigid protocol. Do not infer function from appearance: “stayed home” might reflect escape from manageable discomfort, illness, safety or needed recovery. Ask the client and consider context.
ACT Matrix example 1: a teen wants to try a club
Situation: A teen is interested in a school art club but hesitates before contacting the organiser. They have not reported a current safety concern; access and welcome still need checking.
| Quadrant | Illustrative client entries |
|---|---|
| Lower right: who or what matters | Making art; finding people with similar interests; choosing activities for myself. |
| Lower left: internal experience | Embarrassment; uncertainty; “They’ll think I’m awkward”; a tight feeling in my stomach. |
| Upper left: actions that may function as away moves | Repeatedly deleting a draft question and closing the club information to escape the awkward feeling. |
| Upper right: possible toward moves | Ask the organiser how newcomers join; request a quieter first visit; attend with an agreed support person if available. |
How to work through this example
- Ask: “What interests you about this club, apart from feeling less nervous?” Let the teen define the direction rather than making attendance your goal.
- Explore: “When you close the information, what happens straight away? What happens to your chance of trying something you care about?” Include the relief without criticising it.
- Ask: “What would make one small step accessible?” Rehearse a private question to the organiser; check whether welcome, timing or sensory needs affect the plan.
Chosen next step: Draft one question together and let the teen decide whether and when to send it. Attendance is not required to complete the exercise.
Review: “What happened when the thought appeared? Did you have more options? Was the club actually suitable?” If the response reveals exclusion or practical barriers, revise the plan rather than labelling reluctance as avoidance.
ACT Matrix example 2: a perfectionistic work pattern
Situation: An adult keeps polishing an ordinary internal update after it already meets agreed requirements. This example excludes safety-critical work, where additional checking may be essential.
| Quadrant | Illustrative client entries |
|---|---|
| Lower right: who or what matters | Clear communication; doing reliable work; enough time for other responsibilities. |
| Lower left: internal experience | “A rough sentence means I’m incompetent”; uncertainty; tension before sending. |
| Upper left: actions that may function as away moves | Rereading the same adequate paragraph repeatedly to obtain a feeling of certainty; delaying the update. |
| Upper right: possible toward moves | Use the actual agreed requirements; complete one proportionate review; seek clarification when information is genuinely missing; send when ready. |
How to work through this example
- Clarify the real task requirements and consequences. Ask: “What review does this type of update actually need?” Defusion does not replace professional standards.
- Ask: “What are you looking for in the next reread—new information or a particular feeling?” Explore function without assuming every check is unhelpful.
- Agree a task-appropriate completion process. Rehearse noticing the incompetence story while following that process, with clarification available for genuine problems.
Chosen next step: Use the agreed review criteria on the next ordinary update, then complete the task without waiting for perfect certainty.
Review: “Was the process proportionate? Did the next reread add useful information? What did you learn about the thought and your response?” Do not use a universal checking limit or turn this illustrative example into an OCD treatment prescription.
Optional prepared resource: The ACT Matrix Worksheet PDF includes an eight-page worksheet with Matrix exercises, prompts and reflection questions. It is a paid printable; the maps and instructions in this article can be used without purchasing it.
ACT Matrix example 3: low mood and connection
Situation: An adult misses contact with a trusted friend and keeps postponing a reply. Explore fatigue, illness, practical demands and relationship safety before assuming the postponement is driven by avoidance.
| Quadrant | Illustrative client entries |
|---|---|
| Lower right: who or what matters | Friendship; being considerate; having some connection without overcommitting. |
| Lower left: internal experience | Sadness; low energy; “I’ll be bad company”; guilt about not replying. |
| Upper left: actions that may function as away moves | Leaving a manageable message unanswered mainly to escape the guilt or expectation, when that is its function. |
| Upper right: possible toward moves | Send a brief honest reply; suggest a lower-demand way to connect; ask for more time; arrange support or rest that makes contact feasible. |
How to work through this example
- Ask: “What kind of contact would matter, and what would be too much right now?” Make room for a very small response or a decision to rest.
- Explore: “What does postponing help you avoid in the moment? What else is making a reply difficult?” Distinguish the internal loop from actual capacity.
- Choose a proportionate option. Rehearse a sentence such as: “I’m low on energy, but I’d like to stay in touch. Could we do a short call another day?”
Chosen next step: Send a brief reply at an agreed, realistic cue, or choose a smaller supported action if sending is not currently feasible.
Review: “Did the action fit your energy and the relationship? What did it support? What needs adjusting?” This map does not replace assessment or an appropriate plan for depression and risk.
ACT Matrix example 4: a parent after a difficult interaction
Situation: A parent snapped during a rushed morning and later avoids returning to the conversation because they feel ashamed. The example concerns an ordinary, repairable disagreement; safety concerns require a different response.
| Quadrant | Illustrative client entries |
|---|---|
| Lower right: who or what matters | Care; repair; respectful limits; making the morning more manageable. |
| Lower left: internal experience | Shame; frustration; “I’m a terrible parent”; a memory of the argument. |
| Upper left: actions that may function as away moves | Changing the subject or repeatedly defending the outburst to escape shame, without addressing its effects. |
| Upper right: possible toward moves | Offer a brief specific apology; acknowledge the effect; restate a reasonable limit calmly; arrange practical help or a simpler routine. |
How to work through this example
- Separate responsibility from the identity label. Ask: “What happened that needs repair? What kind of response would express care now?”
- Explore what defending or avoiding the conversation achieves immediately and what it leaves unresolved. Include exhaustion, support needs and the child's perspective.
- Rehearse a short repair: “I spoke sharply this morning. I’m sorry for that. The limit still matters, and I want to explain it more calmly.” Adapt to the child's age and the actual situation.
Chosen next step: Choose an appropriate time for a brief repair conversation and one practical change to the routine. The child is not required to reassure the parent or accept the apology immediately.
Review: “Did your response take responsibility and respect the other person? What support would reduce the load next time?” Acceptance of shame does not excuse harmful behaviour or remove safeguarding obligations.
ACT Matrix example 5: boundaries and competing commitments
Situation: An adult is asked to take on another voluntary task when they already have limited time. They care about contributing and also need rest and space for existing commitments.
| Quadrant | Illustrative client entries |
|---|---|
| Lower right: who or what matters | Contribution; reliability; rest; keeping existing commitments. |
| Lower left: internal experience | Guilt; “Saying no makes me selfish”; worry about disappointing someone. |
| Upper left: actions that may function as away moves | Agreeing immediately mainly to escape guilt, then overcommitting or withdrawing later. |
| Upper right: possible toward moves | Ask for time to consider; clarify the request; decline respectfully; offer a smaller contribution only if it fits. |
How to work through this example
- Ask: “Which commitments and needs are competing here?” Do not assume contribution is merely people pleasing or that declining is always the valued response.
- Explore: “What does an immediate yes do for the guilt? What happens to your time and other commitments afterwards?”
- Rehearse a proportionate response, such as: “I can’t take the extra task this week.” Assess power differences and likely consequences before planning a real conversation.
Chosen next step: Use a pause before answering and choose a response that fits the actual commitments. If refusing is unsafe or carries serious consequences, plan support and protection rather than prescribing assertiveness.
Review: “What did the response protect or support? Could guilt be present without making every decision? What happened in the environment?”
Toward and away moves are functions, not grades
The same action can serve different purposes. Going home might protect health or safety; in a different situation it might mainly provide short-term relief while repeatedly shrinking access to something the client cares about. A response can also move away from discomfort and towards a meaningful direction at the same time.
Ask three questions before labelling an action:
- What was happening in this specific context?
- What did the response achieve immediately?
- What did it support or cost over time, and according to whom?
Context notes belong beside the map: money, disability, sensory access, transport, discrimination, family obligations, relationship safety and other people's behaviour. They are not all internal barriers to overcome. Practical help, advocacy, boundaries and recovery may be the most workable next moves.
A client can disagree with your initial interpretation. Revise the map together instead of using it to prove they are being avoidant. Do not tally right-side actions as a compliance score or require the client to be a “toward person.”
Using the ACT Matrix with teens, groups and telehealth
Teens: Use one concrete scene, ordinary words and short entries. Invite interests, people or needs before asking about abstract values. The teen can speak, point or use icons. Do not make school attendance, disclosure or adult approval the automatic goal.
Groups: Build one fictional map together, such as a character considering a hobby club. Ask members for possible thoughts and responses without requiring autobiographical examples. Offer an observer or pass role. Different answers may reflect different contexts rather than right and wrong responses.
Telehealth: Let the client use their own paper, or agree a private shared document. Confirm who can see it, how it will be saved and whether the client wants a copy. Do not record identifying details unnecessarily. Read the four headings aloud if a diagram is inaccessible.
When the map is too much: Work with two questions—“What matters here?” and “What response is available?”—or choose another format. Completing four boxes is not the therapeutic goal.
How to review the ACT Matrix across sessions
- Return to one actual moment: Ask what happened, not just whether the client completed homework.
- Update the internal experience: New thoughts, feelings or urges may have appeared. They are information, not evidence that the earlier work failed.
- Describe the response: Record what the client did, including deciding not to act, asking for support or changing the plan.
- Explore consequences and fit: Did the response serve the chosen direction and actual needs? What became easier or harder?
- Choose an adjustment: Continue, make the step smaller, add support, change direction or stop the practice.
If the client wants a brief record between sessions, use: situation, what mattered, what showed up, what I did, and what needs adjusting. One agreed example can be enough; no daily tracking quota is necessary. If the form becomes reassurance, self-criticism or constant monitoring, reconsider its use.
The Matrix can support a conversation about defusion when a thought is dominating the response. Try brief noticing within the map rather than adding several exercises automatically. It does not replace a formulation, risk assessment or condition-specific care.
For a reusable format, explore the ACT Matrix Worksheet PDF. For separate practice with thoughts, see the Cognitive Defusion Worksheets. The ACT worksheet collection offers other formats; choose one that suits the task rather than adding more paperwork.
ACT Matrix worked examples: common questions
What goes in the four ACT Matrix quadrants?
In this layout: who or what matters goes lower right; difficult internal experiences lower left; actions that function to move away from those experiences upper left; and possible actions towards what matters upper right. Function and context matter more than fitting every entry perfectly.
What is the circle in the middle of the Matrix?
It can mark the person noticing the thoughts, feelings, meanings and actions on the map. Keep the invitation concrete: notice what is here and what response is available.
Is the ACT Matrix a values worksheet?
It includes meaningful directions, but also maps internal experience and behaviour. Values clarification can develop throughout the conversation, rather than only in one box.
Are away moves always bad?
No. Relief, protection and recovery can be appropriate. Explore the response's function and consequences in its actual context; one action can have both toward and away functions.
Can the Matrix be used with teens?
Yes, when the task and format fit. Use a concrete scene, plain language and client choice. A spoken version or a fictional demonstration may be more accessible than filling in a page.
Do clients need a printed Matrix worksheet?
No. Blank paper, a whiteboard or a spoken map can work. A prepared printable can make prompts easier to organise and revisit, but the purchase is optional.
Are these examples real client cases?
No. They are original fictional teaching examples, not testimonials or evidence of treatment outcomes.
Sources and further reading
The Matrix framework is established ACT work; the scenarios, dialogue and practical adaptations here are original illustrations, not a reproduced manual or tested treatment programme.
- Polk, Schoendorff, Webster and Olaz: The Essential Guide to the ACT Matrix — publisher information and further clinical learning.
- Jacob Martinez: setting up the ACT Matrix — a clinician's detailed introduction.
- Jacob Martinez: working with values through the Matrix.
- ACBS: the six ACT processes.