Introduction to ACT:  An Experiential Approach to Learning ACT

True North Therapy and Training

ACT is a flexible, process based, trans-diagnostic model of therapy that can be integrated into most therapeutic approaches.

The Journey Space - A Healing Arts Center

True North CE series

Course Description:This 2 day workshop will be highly experiential with a focus on helping participants practice and build skills that they can readily integrate into their work. It’s designed to give participants a strong foundation in ACT theory and practice. The workshop is ideal for beginning practitioners new to the model as well as those already practicing ACT at an intermediate level who want to broaden their repertoire.Over the course of two days, we will work with participants to assess psychological problems using the ACT model, identify and address experiential avoidance and inflexible behavior patterns, learn and practice skills related to the core process of ACT, identify and use metaphors and exercises relevant to each of the 6 core processes, and use the ACT model to help clients differentiate between ineffective and meaningful actions. In addition, the training will explore the ways in which language and metaphor influence behavior and can be used in therapy to help change behavior. We will create a safe space in which to participate in experiential exercises, small group work and dyad work to encourage attendees to practice and enhance new skills.Target Audience: This workshop is for clinicians who are new to ACT or who would like to add to their current ACT repertoire. It is appropriate for mental health professionals, including Psychologists, Licensed Mental Health Counselors, Psychiatrists, Social Workers, and Psychiatric Nurse-Practitioners.CE Credits<ul><li>This activity has approval for 12 CEs for social workers, psychologists and counselors. You must attend the course in its entirety in order to receive continuing education credits. CE credits are not given for the lunch or 15 minute breaks.</li><li>The Association for Contextual Behavioral Science is approved by the American</li></ul>Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Association for Contextual Behavioral Science maintains responsibility for this program and its content<ul><li>Introduction to ACT: An Experiential Approach to Learning Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, course # 5347, is approved by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program to be offered by True North Therapy and Training as an individual course. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE course approval period: 11/27/23-11/27/25. Social workers completing this course receive 12 Clinical continuing education credits.</li><li>CE credits are not given for the lunch break or the 15-minute breaks.</li></ul> After attending this training you will be able to:<ul><li>Identify and describe experiential avoidance</li><li>Identify and describe cognitive fusion</li><li>Explain psychological flexibility</li><li>Identify and describe the 6 core processes of ACT</li><li>Explain what is meant by “context” in ACT</li><li>Explain what is meant by “function” in ACT</li><li>Explain the pragmatic truth criterion or “workability”</li><li>Describe at least 2 challenges in identifying values</li><li>Identify and employ at least 3 ACT in-session exercises</li><li>Describe how self-compassion work can be integrated into the ACT model</li><li>Describe at least one consideration in adapting ACT to different cultural contexts</li><li>Practice moving fluently between ACT processes</li></ul>

Instructor Bios: Evan Marks, LCSW-C is a licensed clinical social worker and the owner and operator of Adaptation, a private therapy practice located in Bethesda Maryland. He specializes in the use of evidenced based therapies including ACT and other contextual behavioral therapies, to treat individuals with substance use, mood, and anxiety disorders. Evan is also a former member at large for the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science.Temple Morris, LCSW-C is a clinical social worker in Bethesda, MD. Here primary modalities are Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration therapy (HRIT). She provides supervision in ACT and also leads a bi-monthly training and clinical consultation on trauma-informed ACT for <a href="https://mendminds.org/" title="https://mendminds.org/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">MEND</a> clinicians (a collaboration of trauma experts dedicated to healing communities of color). Temple is a co-founder of True North Therapy and Training, a group dedicated to sharing contextual behavioral therapies with clients, practitioners, and the broader community.Kate McSpadden Leinweber, LCSW-C is a licensed clinical social worker in private practice at True North Therapy &amp; Training. She treats a broad range of difficulties including anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, and grief. She has extensive training and experience using various evidenced-based treatments, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). She primarily utilizes ACT as the groundwork for helping clients cultivate meaningful, values-based patterns of living.Joey Salvatore, LCPC (uses they/he/she pronouns) is a licensed professional counselor working with TrueNorth Therapy and Training in Bethesda, MD, who operates out of a virtual office in Baltimore, MD. Joey utilizes principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and other contextual behavioral approaches to support clients in their treatment. Given a special softspot for collaborating with the LGBTQIA+ community in both personal and professional domains, Joey places specific focus on building self-kindness and compassion tools into their client work. They frequently support trans and gender-nonconforming clients through gender-affirming care, and provide support for issues related to transition by promoting acceptance and self-love, and through the strength of building a trusted community. They recognize relationship-building is paramount to quality living both in and out of session and have recently added components of Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP) to their clinical repertoire. When not engaged in clinical work, Joey is building up the process of Culinary ACT, a modality of utilizing therapeutic processes in the context of the kitchen, connecting passions of cooking and counseling, and dancing in their kitchen with their partner and two cats.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 is currently a past President of the Board of the Association of Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS). In addition, Miranda 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. FOR MORE INFORMATION Please email Miranda Morris at <a href="mailto:drmirandamorris@gmail.com" title="mailto:drmirandamorris@gmail.com" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">drmirandamorris@gmail.com</a> No commercial support was obtained for this CE program or for the instruction content that could be construed as a conflict of interest. No commercial support is being sought for an endorsement of any product (e.g., books, drugs, etc.).

After attending this training you will be able to:<ul><li>Identify and describe experiential avoidance</li><li>Identify and describe cognitive fusion </li><li>Explain psychological flexibility</li><li>Identify and describe the 6 core processes of ACT</li><li>Explain what is meant by “context” in ACT</li><li>Explain what is meant by “function” in ACT</li><li>Explain the pragmatic truth criterion or “workability”</li><li>Describe at least 2 challenges in identifying values</li><li>Identify and employ at least 3 ACT in-session exercises</li><li>Describe how self-compassion work can be integrated into the ACT model</li><li>Describe at least one consideration in adapting ACT to different cultural contexts</li><li>Practice moving fluently between ACT processes</li></ul>

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Introduction to ACT: An Experiential Approach to Learning ACT

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