Integrating ACT into Practice: 2-Day Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Skills Training
12.0 CREDIT HOURS
Course Overview:
This workshop will be highly experiential with a focus on helpingparticipants practice and build skills that they can readily integrate into theirwork with a variety of clients. It’s designed to give participants a strongfoundation in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) theory as well aspractical experience with many core ACT interventions. The workshop is idealfor beginning practitioners new to the model as well as those alreadypracticing ACT at an intermediate level who want to refresh theirunderstanding of the fundamental principles that inform ACT work.
Over the course of two days, we will demonstrate how to assess psychological problems using the Psychological Flexibility model, to learn and practice skills relevant to each of the 6 core psychological flexibility processes, to apply ACT skills to help clients differentiate between ineffective and meaningful actions, and to identify and address key indicators of psychological inflexibility.
In addition, the training will explore the ways in which language and metaphors influence behavior and can be used in therapy to help change behavior. We will use experiential exercises, small group work, role play and demonstrations to encourage participants to practice and enhance new skills so that they can implement these techniques right away with their clients.
Presenters:
Miranda Morris, PhD, is a psychologist in Bethesda, MD. She is a Peer Reviewed ACT Trainer, and she conducts regular workshops in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and related therapies including Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP) and basic Relational Frame Theory (RFT). She has served as the President of the Association for Contextual Behavior Science (the primary organization of the ACT community) and is an active member of the Mid Atlantic Chapter of ACBS Chapter and their ACT Carolinas affiliate. In her paid-work life, she is the Co-founder of True North Therapy and Training, a group dedicated to sharing contextual behavioral therapies with clients, practitioners, and the broader community.
Shawn Costello Whooley, PsyD, is a psychologist and Peer Reviewed ACT Trainer in private practice in Baltimore, MD, and in the Trauma Recovery Program at the Baltimore VA Medical Center. She is also the founder of Stillpoint Journeys, a coaching and training practice focused on moving the work of behavior change out of the office and into life by using extended hiking trips (and other adventures – equine, sailing) to experience the processes of ACT in real time. Shawn provides ACT and CBS training internationally and in academic settings. She serves as a Conference Strategy Committee member of the Association of Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS) and is also an active member of the Mid Atlantic Chapter of ACBS, where she has served as President and Treasurer. Shawn is co-author of The Inner Critic Workbook: Self-Compassion and Mindfulness Skills to Reduce Feelings of Shame, Build Self-Worth, and Improve Your Life and Relationships. In her copious spare time, Shawn can’t get enough of all things outdoors, nature, and the environment.
Dr. Staci Martin is a clinical psychologist and peer reviewed ACT trainer specializing in ACT for children through adults with health conditions. She is a Senior Associate Scientist in the Pediatric Oncology Branch (POB) of the National Cancer Institute, and the Clinical Director of the Health Psychology and Neurobehavioral Research Program. Her research focuses on ACT interventions for pediatric and adult medical populations, including sickle cell disease, cancer, and cancer predisposition syndromes. Dr. Martin currently chairs the Plenary subcommittee for the ACBS Conference Strategy Committee and serves as associate editor of the Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science. She has authored over 80 publications in peer-reviewed journals. In addition, she is on the Advisory Board for the POB’s Diversity Working Group aimed at addressing health disparities in medical research.
Feb 27-28, 2025: 8:40am-4:30pm ET | 2-Day ACT Training | 12 Cred Hrs
Date: Thurs & Fri, Feb 27-28, 2025
Time: 8:40am-4:30pm Eastern Time - Both Days
Delivery Format: Live Online Interactive Training on Zoom
Target Audience: Social Workers, Licensed Professional Counselors, Psychologists, Addictions Counselors, other mental health professionals
Content Level: Intermediate