ACT From The Inside - Out: An Experiential Introductory Workshop

Description of the Workshop

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is an empirically supported, transdiagnostic, contextual therapy that frames suffering as a response to the inevitable pain of living a human life. ACT is a behavior-based therapy targeting psychological and behavioral flexibility, the ability to do what matters in the presence of whatever shows up inside (i.e., thoughts, emotions, and urges). Participants will have the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the theoretical and philosophical foundations underlying the therapeutic model through engaging exercises, setting the stage for foundationally consistent treatment interventions. Participants will benefit from a firsthand understanding of the futility of the efforts to avoid or control pain and the ACT approach to relieve suffering.

This 2-day workshop will give clinicians the opportunity to learn the ACT model from the inside-out. Sheri is known for her jargon-free, attentive, and engaging training style, giving participants an immersive understanding of the model and the treatment experience. You will be guided, step by step, from assessment and case formulation, through to consent and therapy interventions for work with teens and adults. There will be opportunities to learn through didactic instruction, engagement with clinical material, real plays, role plays, and direct feedback.

Although not required, it is highly recommended that attendees have some previous knowledge of the foundations of the model and the therapeutic processes. You can access Chapter 1 of ACT for Adolescents: A Clinician Guide" for an introduction or review of basic background information.

https://www.lifeinbalancetherapy.ca/publications

Learning Objectives

• Understand the ACT perspective of human suffering and the limits of control efforts.
• Experience ACT as you explore your own 'stuck spots" and learn the model from the inside-out.
• Explain how ACT can be used to address complex presenting problems.
• Relate ACT to its foundational underpinnings of Functional Contextualism and Relational Frame Theory (RFT).
• List and describe the six core processes of psychological inflexibility / flexibility.
• Describe the ACT therapeutic stance.
• Demonstrate how to use a functional analysis for case formulation and treatment planning.
• Describe the process of consent for ACT.
• Understand creative hopelessness and how to use this to motivate change.
• Demonstrate ways to use language, metaphor, and experiential exercises to promote flexibility using each of the ACT processes, informed by RFT.
• Describe how to structure ACT sessions and connect values to meaningful behavior change.
• Identify resources and opportunities to further develop skills as an ACT therapist.

Presenter Info

Dr. Sheri Turrell is a Clinical Psychologist and Psychoanalyst from Toronto, Canada with over twenty years of experience in mental health. She is an internationally recognized expert in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ("ACT," pronounced as a single word) and author of several best-selling ACT books. Sheri divides her professional time between her private practice, supervising students, and providing consultation and trainings, locally and internationally, to graduate students and clinicians. She provides individual therapy for teens and adults and has facilitated ACT groups for teens for over 10 years. She recently released an online self-help program for teens and young adults, Choose Your Life, available through her website, https://www.lifeinbalancetherapy.ca