Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) - A Practical Introduction

What is the workshop about?

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a distinctive empirically-based psychological intervention that uses acceptance and mindfulness strategies, alongside commitment and behavior change techniques. A key objective is to work with the client to increase psychological flexibility. This focus on flexibility involves helping the client contact the present moment fully as a conscious human being.

As part of the 'Third Wave' of psychological therapies, ACT is not simply about overcoming pain or fighting emotions; but rather focuses on embracing life and experiencing everything it has to offer. Rather than suppress or avoid psychological experiences, ACT is based on the idea that acceptance and mindfulness can be more productive responses to the ups and down of life.

What will the workshop cover? (indicative)

1. Introduction
2. Foundations of ACT as a Third Wave therapy
3. Core Ideas in ACT - Accept, Choose, Take Action
4. The Model of Psychological Flexibility
5. - Acceptance
6. - Cognitive Defusion
7. - Being Present
8. - Self as Context
9. - Values
10. - Committed Action
11. Practical Techniques in ACT
12. - Metaphors
13. - Acceptance Activities
14. - Values exploration
15. Case Study
16. Application of ACT to ourselves as therapists
17. Contemporary applications, research and limitations of ACT
18. Summary

How will the workshop be develivered?

Using a combination of interactive examples, case studies, video, exposition and small group work, the workshop will seek to engage attendees fully. A full set of the slides and anonymised audiences responses will be available to all delegates free of charge after the workshop.

Who should attend?

This workshop is aimed at therapists, counsellors, advisers, educationalists, health care workers, social workers and students in these areas. It is particularly useful for counsellors who do not normally work within an Acceptance and Commitment model but want to explore tried and tested techniques. Similarly, counsellors and therapists working within this tradition are likely to find this workshop a useful refresher in the latest approaches. It is also suitable for anyone with an interest in contemporary practice in this area.

Delegate comment from this series

"An amazing training so much content in a short space of time and at that incredibly easy to follow and take all in."

What have previous delegates said about previous workshops (webinar and F2F?)

"Educational", "Enjoyable"," Helpful", Excellent", "Informative", "Insightful"

"Thoroughly enjoyed today's workshop. Most definitely learned a lot" "Brilliant" "Really helpful day""Very enjoyable and well presented""Lot's to think about and take back to practice" "Excellent - varied and comfortable". "Excellent workshop. Enjoyed all areas"

Resources

A full set of slides with extensive clickable links to online resources, is sent free to all delegates after the event. This also includes references to key sources.

CPD

A CPD Certificate of Attendance confirming 2 hours skills CPD is available free on request to all delegates who attend.

Facilitator

Professor Patrick McGhee is a CBT therapist, psychologist and UK National Teaching Fellow. Educated at the universities of Glasgow and Oxford, he has completed CPD programmes at Harvard Business School and Ashridge. In 2017 he was a Visiting Fellow/Scholar at the universities of Cornell, Yale and MIT in the USA. He has taught, researched or practised in psychology and therapy for 30 years. His first post was a Research Fellow in Psychiatry and Psychology at St George's Hospital Medical School, University of London. He is the author of Thinking Psychologically (Palgrave) and co-editor of Accounting for Relationships (Methuen). He is an occasional columnist for the Guardian, the BBC and the Times Higher. He currently works in private practice in Greater Manchester and Lancashire. He has full accreditation from the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies.

Joining instructions

Joining instructions for the webinar will be sent to participants approximately 48 hours, 2 hours and 10 minutes before the start of the event. Please aim to join about 10 minutes before the start of the event to check connections.

Please note

The workshop does not itself offer therapy to people suffering from depression. See NHS website for guidance https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhs-services/mental-health-services/how-to-access-mental-health-services/

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) - A Practical Introduction

What have previous delegates said about other Practical CBT workshops?

• "It was fun. Patrick a very entertaining trainer. Good use of humour."
• "Loved the multimedia presentation".
• "Useful professionally and personally. Very enjoyable - lots of takeaway resources"
• "Fun, lively presentation from Patrick. Two-way experience between Patrick and the group. Very informative and enjoyable."
• "Excellent workshop. Informative, interesting, well presented. It was excellent."
• "Excellent course; excellent presentation; easy to understand".
• "Good balance of information and lots of useful practical ideas to use. Thank you!"
• "I enjoyed this training and Patrick was very attentive and engaging with the training".
• "Clearly a knowledgable and experienced facilitator. Helpful to be signposted to resources".
• "Good mix of presentation, discussion and exercises"
• "An engaging workshop with clear practical applications."
• "Excellent delivery and well explained. Articulate explanations of concepts. Great. Thanks!"