The ACT Matrix: Sorting Toward and Away Moves
A point-of-view diagram for noticing avoidance and choosing values-based action
The ACT Matrix: Sorting Toward and Away Moves
A point-of-view diagram for noticing avoidance and choosing values-based action
The ACT Matrix: Sorting Toward and Away Moves
A point-of-view diagram for noticing avoidance and choosing values-based action
The ACT Matrix is a simple diagram that helps you sort what you are going through and choose actions based on what matters to you. It is built on two questions you can ask in any moment. The first sorts your experience by where it happens: the world of five-senses experience you can see, hear, and touch, versus the world of inner mental experience like thoughts, feelings, memories, and urges.
The second question sorts your behavior by its direction: moving toward the people and qualities that matter to you, versus moving away from unwanted inner experience. At the center is the noticer, the part of you that simply notices your thoughts and feelings with some distance. Mapping a situation onto the matrix makes avoidance visible and points toward a workable next step. If you want a simpler two-direction version of the same idea, try the choice point.
The Two Sorting Questions
The Four Quadrants
The Noticer at the Center
How to Use the Matrix
- Start in the lower right. Name one or two people, roles, or qualities that genuinely matter to you in this part of life.
- Move to the lower left. Notice the inner experience that tends to show up and pull you off course: the thoughts, feelings, and urges.
- Map the upper left. Be honest about the away moves you reach for to escape that discomfort, and what they cost you over time.
- Map the upper right. Identify the toward moves available to you, even small ones, that line up with your lower-right values.
- Come back to the noticer. In the moment, ask one question: is this next move taking me toward or away?
- Choose one toward move and take it while the unwanted inner experience is still present. The goal is willingness, being open to feel the discomfort rather than waiting for it to go away first.
Key Insight
The matrix does not try to delete the lower-left experiences. Anxiety, doubt, and urges will keep showing up. The work is to notice them, hold them more lightly, and still steer toward the lower-right. Most away moves run on autopilot, so the act of mapping them is itself a toward move.
Related ACT Worksheets
View all ACT→Avoidance in ACT: Moving Toward What Matters
An ACT-Based Guide to Overcoming Experiential Avoidance
ACTCircle of Control: Your Sphere of Influence
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ACTCircles of Influence on Personal Values
Exploring how your values are shaped by self, family, friends, and society
Common Questions
What is The ACT Matrix: Sorting Toward and Away Moves?
The ACT Matrix is a simple diagram that helps you sort what you are going through and choose actions based on what matters to you. It is built on two questions you can ask in any moment.
How do I use The ACT Matrix: Sorting Toward and Away Moves?
Read through this resource to learn key concepts. Share with your therapist or use as a study reference. You can print this sheet or bookmark it for quick access later.
Is The ACT Matrix: Sorting Toward and Away Moves free?
Yes. Like every worksheet on Therapy Resource, it is free to read, print, and download as a PDF — no account required. A Pro subscription adds online filling with saved progress, practice-branded PDF exports, and secure client sharing.
Who is The ACT Matrix: Sorting Toward and Away Moves for?
It is designed for therapists and counselors doing ACT work with clients, and for individuals using it for self-guided practice. Pro members can share it with clients through a private link — no client account needed.
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