There will be independent opportunities for you to meet other ACT practitioners from around the world online.

Meetings are free for ACBS-members. In other words, if either time, geographical or financial issues have been putting constraints in the past for you to improve your ACT skills, they no longer need to be this this time round. Just drop in online and practice your ACT skills with colleagues as passionate about ACT and Functional Contextualism as you are! For more information, dates and access to the meetings, see the Online Act Peer Supervision Group webpage.

(This webpage was updated on August 13, 2019)

An overview of resources, people, and practice opportunities that can help you getting started

The Portland model is an ACT-consultation format developed by Thompson et al. (2015). Since its publication, the model has become popular in the ACBS community as a peer-to-peer learning format. And no wonder, it is a very effective and low cost way ACT-practitioners can practice their skills.

If you want to start facilitating your own consultation group, it can be daunting to get started or continue when things don't go as hoped. Regardless of your level of expertise in ACT (i.e. whether beginner or expert) and regardless of your familiarity with the Portland model (i.e. whether low or high), this page gives you an overview of ressources, people, and practice opportunities that can support you while dveloping your Portland model facilitator skills.

 Learn about:

• The model's core features and advantages (e.g. deliberating skills + community building at the same time)
• How the model has been applied in and adapted to the most diverse settings in the ACBS-community over the years
• Members who share their personal tips with you how to successfully set up and facilitate your own group
• Ways and (online) places you can gain first-hand use and facilitator experience with this powerful learning format
• Dates and time of the next 3-hour online Portland model introductory workshop

-
 

1) Access existing resources

Make use of the articles, PowerPoints, and summaries generously shared by our community members:

- Link to original JCBS-article (also to directly download from this page; see attachments below)
- Portland Model information page of the Portland Psychotherapy Training website (with links to meeting outline, role descriptions, Hexaflex Monitor form, Transition Form, session structure)
- PowerPoint Slides of excellent introduction (public talk) to the Portland model by Michael Swadling
- Portland Model Meeting Guide (2 pages ppt file for download below)
- In Hebrew: See 3 documents below for download (attachment section) + explainer video of the Portland model in Hebrew: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDScTlWUq6U (17 minutes)
 

Got some resources (ppts, overviews, cheat sheets, case studies, summaries, videos, etc. - in English or any other language!) that you would be willing to share with other members? Spread some community love and share them with other members. E-mail valerie_kiel[@]yahoo.com and they will get uploaded here.

 

2) Talk to an ambassador

Ambassadors are community members from around the world who have first-hand experience of facilitating Portland model consultation groups. Ambassadors are a great knowledge source because frequently, they have tweaked the model to adapt to their specific purposes and (work)cultures, and settings - much to learn and get inspired by. They are happy to share their experience with you and talk to you about your facilitator plans and questions in more detail. Please note: While ambassadors will not be able to help you set up your consultation group or support you in other time-consuming ways, they have plenty of tips and lessons learned to offer that will save you from re-inventing the wheel and increase the chances your group will be successful.
 

Finnland

Tiina Tuominen
President-elect Finnish Chapter (holding office as president as of May 2022)
Experience: Facilitating peer supervision meetings for chapter members (in person)
Languages you can contact Tiina: Finnish, English
e-mail: tiina.annika.tuominen@gmail.com

Mikko Vuokare
Languages you can contact Mikko: Finnish, English
terapia@vuokare.fi
e-mail: mikko_vuokare@msn.com
+358405808705

Kalle Partanen
psykologi, psykoterapeutti
Languages you can contact Kalle: Finnish, English
Arvokas mieli Oy
p. 046 810 7474
http://arvokasmieli.fi
e-mail: kalle.partanen@gmail.com
 

Norway

Eli Alperstein
Experience: Facilitating f2f and online meetings
Languages you can contact Eli: Norwegian, English
elialperstein@gmail.com
 

USA, San Francisco

Michal Vurek
Clinical Social Worker, has participated in a f2f (virtual during the pandemic) closed consultation group for several years in the Bay Area
Experience: Facilitating f2f meetings
Languages you can contact Michael: English
michaelvurek@gmail.com
 

USA, Boston area

Daniel P. Johnson, PhD (he, him, his)
Experience: Facilitating a portland model group that I co-founded at the VA as a postdoc and one I started at my current workplace, which has 10-14 members weekly in the past 3 years.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
617-862-9510
email: danielpjohnson.phd@gmail.com
website: https://www.danielpjohnsonphd.com
 

Australia

Michael Swadling (he/him)
Experience: Facilitating a Portland model group since 2015, originally for early-career therapists.
Clinical psychologist and board-approved supervisor; 2021-2023 Secretary of ANZ ACBS
email: michael.swadling@rmit.edu.au
or via Facebook message: www.facebook.com/urbanlabyrinth
 

Israel

Orin Gerstenhaber
Member Israeli ACBS -chapter
אורן גרסטנהיבר MSW
עו"ס קליני, פסיכותרפיסט ומדריך קוגנטיבי התנהגותי/ACT
orin-therapy.com
054-6322659

Extra information: Powerpoint and word documents on the Portland model in Hebrew for download in the attachments
 

*Not seeing a a person in your local area or speaking your (preferred) language? Consider posting your query on the professional listserv, or on specific SIG's and chapter listserves or various ACT/CBS-focused Facebook groups.

**Do you have first-hand experience with the Portland model yourself and would like to be added as ambassador, then please get in touch so we can add your name and contact details to the list):They in the most diverse settings and culturesWould you like to start your own consultation group based on the Portland Model? Do you wonder how to tweak the format to specific contexts or users (e.g. private praxis or university students)?
 

 

3) Join an existing consultation group and learn from the facilitators there

No interest to set up your own group, but in for some peer-to-peer learning hours? There are many (online and f2f) consultation groups running in the community already. Some of them are open to ad-hoc participants and even new stable members:

The ACT for Military SIG consultation group meetings

Bi-weekly drop-in peer consultation group (every other Friday)

Not seeing a group you want or can join? Consider posting your on the professional listserv, or on specific SIG's and chapter listserves or various ACT/CBS-focused Facebook groups
 

 

4) Attend an experiential primer into the Portland model (3 hours online-workshop)

*** This webinar is ONLY for ACBS-members ***
 

If you are looking for a way to familiarize yourself with the Portland model of peer consultation (Thompson et al. 2015) and experience first hand how easy it is to practice your ACT-skills with peers, then this highly interactive online Portland introduction might be just the right thing for you.

Over the course of 3 hours, you will first learn more about the model's main features (experiential learning, deliberate practice, and community building). Then, after some warming up exercises, you will practice in small groups (max 4 people) to follow the format. This will give you a good idea about both the advantages and challenges of the format. We will discuss the lessons learned from this practice part together and also review typical mistakes made when applying the model at first (and how to avoid them). Finally, you will get a chance to reflect upon the possibility to set up your own Portland model consultation group or join an existing one as a facilitator or member (online or locally).
 

This online-workshop is for you if you:

• Have a basic understanding and some practical experience with the ACT-model.
• Have no or very little experience with the Portland model and want an experiental introduction into this awesome consultation format.
• Want to set up your own (online or F2F) peer consultation group, or want to learn how to facilitate a group.

 

If you want to attend, you need to commit to the following:

1) Have a functional camera and audio, both switched on throughout the webinar.
2) Stay until the very end of the workshop.
3) Sit in a private and quiet spot with no other people being able to listen in or appearing behind you on camera (cats on keyboards do not count.)
4) Be willing to co-create an interactive and respectful learning environment with other members attending.

 

Saturday, 5 November 2022

Start of 3-hour webinar in different time zones:

San Francisco, USA Saturday 5 November 2022 at 09:00 PDT
Mexico City, Mexico Saturday 5 November 2022 at 10:00 CST
New York, USA Saturday 5 November 2022 at 12:00 EDT
Buenos Aires, Argentina Saturday 5 November 2022 at 13:00 ART
Freetown, Sierra Leone Saturday 5 November 2022 at 16:00 GMT
London, United Kingdom Saturday 5 November 2022 at 16:00 GMT
Amsterdam, Netherlands Saturday 5 November 2022 at 17:00 CET
Jerusalem, Israel Saturday 5 November 2022 at 18:00 IST
Nairobi, Kenya Saturday 5 November 2022 at 19:00 EAT
Ankara, Turkey Saturday 5 November 2022 at 19:00 TRT
Singapore, Singapore Saturday 6 November 2022 at 00:00 SGT
Sydney, Australia Saturday 6 November 2022 at 03:00 AEDT

Check your corresponding timezone: www.worldtimebuddy.com

 

To register for this online-workshop, please send an e-mail to: valerie_kiel[at]yahoo.com.

Please note:

This is a FREE online workshop for ACBS members ONLY. Please do not share the Zoom-link with non-members.
The Zoom meeting room that the workshop will be held in will close exactly 5 minutes after starting time. Please make sure to login on time to avoid disappointment.
 

 

5) Meet fellow Portland model facilitators

Would you love to hear how other facilitators are running a Portland model based group (e.g. how they have adapted the original format, which warm-up exercises they do; using real plays versus role-plays) and exchange ideas and experiences how to deal with common challenges and obstacles? Then come to the online meet-up to learn from and get inspired by the experiences and lessons learned from fellow facilitators.

 

********

Help us keeping this page content fresh and meaningful. Here's how:

• Want to get listed (or removed) as an ambassador in your local area or language?
• Are you running a consultation group and would like to open it up to other members (or want a listed one removed)? 
• Do you have experience with the Portland model and would you like to share your knowledge with others and offer an introductory webinar for FREE and ONLINE to community members?
• Do you have ressources (case studies, summaries, ppts, videos, etc. - in English or other languages) you would be willing to share with other members?
   

In all those cases, we would love to hear from you! Please send your message to valerie_kiel[at]yahoo.com
 

ACT Peer Consultation Group for Cordoba, AR|CD, Argentina

Format of the Group
We will learn to develop ACT and FAP interventions using the Matrix model, mainly. The format will be as follows but the idea is that the group can also propose the direction of each session:
1. One supervisee presents the case. Sometimes in a role play format
2. Supervisors ask questions about the client to clarify issues such as history, strengths, previous treatments, family background, etc. Supervisor could ask also about personal information of the supervisee necessary to work with Clinical relevant behavior of the psychoterapist in a FAP format. In all this work we will work with "real playing format". Both supervisor and supervisee work identifying parallels between the problematic that arise in the consultation session and the clinical case under discussion.
3. The whole group provide positive feedback to the supervisee and supervisor as well as questioning. Supervisor can implement some group exercises, self revelations, questioning and explanation. The hole group finish the session noticing what can be useful for their clients during the next week, taking into account the work developed during the session
4. Next session the group start trying to find out what ideas were tried or what was different in the subsequent session(s) with that client.
Techniques:
• Debriefing from clinical work
• Real Play
• Role Play
• Lectures
• Experiential work
• Homework

Spanish:

Aprenderemos a desarrollar intervenciones integrando ACt y Fap a través del modelo Matrix. El modelo de trabajo se expòne a continuación, pero la idea es que el grupo pueda proponer la modalidad que mas se adecúe a sus necesidades:
1. Un miembro del grupo presenta un caso. A veces en un formato de Role play
2. El supervisor realiza pregunta spara clarificar el caso, sobre cuestiones tales como historia, fortalezas del paciente, tratamientos anteriores, historia familiar, etc. El supervisor también puede preguntar sobre cuestiones personales del supervisado a los fines de poder trabajar con conductas clinicamente relevantes del terapeuta en un formato FAP. Se trabajara con un formato de "Real Playing". Tanto el supervisor como el supervisado trabajan identificando paralelos entre la problemática del cliente y los comportamientos que surgen en la sesion de supervisión.
3. El grupo brinda feedback y realiza preguntas al supervisado y al supervisor.En este punto, el supervisor puede incluir ejercicios grupales, autorevelaciones, preguntas y explicaciones. el grupo finaliza la sesion notando que cosas fueron utiles del trabajo realizado que puedan ser utilizadas con los clientes durante la semana.
4. En la proxima sesion, el grupo inicia comentando que cosas pudieron ver diferentes en su propia práctica.
Técnicas:
• Exposición de casos
• Real Play
• Role Play
• Lectura de papers y libros
• Trabajo viviencial
• Tareas para la casa 

Membership
Spanish Speakers. Members don't necessary need to have so much time as an ACT or FAP practitioners. They just need to share the ACT and FAP values. They have to know the theoretical bases of both models.

Spanish:
Hispanoparlantes. Los miembros no necesitan necesariamente tener mucho tiempo de práctica como terapeutas ACT o FAP. Solo se requiere que compartan los valores de ACt y FAP. Los miembros necesitan tener conocimiento de las bases teóricas de ambos modelos 

Meeting Information
Centro Integral de Psicoterapias Contextuales. urquiza 1160. Córdoba. Argentina
Dates: Two meeting in a month. Dates to confirm with the group

Contact Information
fabidelarenta@gmail.com. Phone Number: (0351) 156353717 or 156535644

Hi,

If you are looking for a peer consultation group in Belgium (Vlaanderen) or the Netherlands, please check out: www.acbsbene.com/intervisie-groepen. You have to become a member of the ACBSBeNe to view and respond. See: contextualscience.org/acbs_belgium_netherlands_chapter or www.acbsbene.com for more information.

ACT and Mindfulness Consultation Group at City University

An ACT consultation group will be starting on the City University campus. The group will take the form of case discussion/review, discussion, application and demonstration of ACT and Mindfulness techniques and sharing of research and resources.

The group is intended to be a good learning ground for all involved and recognizes that at times, we all feel like imposters, fools and nerr-do-wells.

Based on interest, meetings will continue through out the year. There will be no cost for the meetings. All are welcome, no matter your level of training in ACT. However, a familiarity with the model will support you to better participate in the discussion. All cohorts are welcome as well as professors and along with any interested clinicians or students from the broader community.

For more information or to communicate your interest, please email me at smswaby@icloud.com.

Sean M. Swaby, MA
Internationally Certified Clinical Addiction Counsellor with the CACCF (http://www.caccf.ca/)

 

(This information was last updated in November 2017).

ACT Peer Consultation Group for Kitchener-Waterloo/Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Format of the Group
Informal discussion of readings, resource sharing, conference summaries, video viewings, case presentations with role/real play infused with contributions/input from members (Format based on the Portland model).

Membership/Experience
Psychotherapy providers and graduate-level trainees (all skill levels and experience welcome) who are interested in learning more about ACT and its clinical application and have a willingness to contribute in some way to the meeting.

Meeting Information
Monthly from 6:30-8:00 pm, the third Monday of the month (day of week can vary)
Currently meeting downtown Kitchener. Location occasionally subject to change -- address and room will be provided upon registration.

Contact Information
Maria Geleynse (mariageleynse@gmail.com) or Jenna Matisz (jmatisz@cmhaww.ca)

ACT Peer Consultation Group for Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

The Ottawa Affiliate of ACBS hosts a montly peer consultation group.

Format of the Group
We use the Portland Model in our peer consultation group to develop new ACT skills.

Meeting Information
We meet in person either the first Tuesday or the first Wednesday of each month.  The date, time, and location alternate each month in order to accommodate different schedules.
The best way for people to get information about the next group meeting is to either email Kathryn Palmer or to join the Ottawa Affiliate Facebook group.  https://www.facebook.com/groups/ACBSOtt/

Contact Information
Kathryn Palmer M.Ed., RP, C.C.C.
Email: kathrynpalmerrp@gmail.com

 

(This webpage was updated on 10/21/2020)

ACT Peer Consultation Group for Tbilisi, Georgia

Format of the Group
We are small group of people who are interested in ACT, CB and RFT. Most of us have clinical practice or are trainers and lecturers in Psychology. We have meetings both On-line and offline. The group meets for 3 hours a week and consists of two parts: Part 1. theoretical discussions and conceptual questions about ACT and RFT. Part 2: experiential learning of ACT skills building. During our meetings we are discussing videos, podcasts of the founders and main voices of ACT.

Membership
Our members can be ACT practitioners, anyone who is interested in ACT, behavioral sciences, willing to volunteer and commit his resources to our community. Anyone who shares our values of openness, acceptance, equality and non-hyerarchical structure of our group. Group is held in georgian language so participants should be fluent in georgian.

Meeting Information
We hold our meetings weekly, Tuesdays at 22:00 via zoom or messenger. For additional information please contact us.

Contact Information
Loladze Tamar, psychotherapist, assistant professor at UG.
e-mail: alienat2009@gmail.com.
+995 555 646 472.

We gather every other Wednesday at 8:00 pm (Mexico Central Time) to practice our skills through the portland model of peer consultation.

Everyone with any level of interest or knowledge in ACT are welcome!

Nos reunimos cada dos miércoles a las 8:00 pm (hora central de México) para practicar nuestras habilidades a través del modelo Portland de consulta entre pares.

¡Todas las personas con cualquier nivel de interés o conocimiento en ACT son bienvenidas!

contacto@actmx.net

Facebook

ACT Peer Consultation Group for Região Centro e Norte, Portugal

Format of the Group

Portuguese Comp. ACT consultation group (intervision/supervision): The Portland model
The group is a mixed 2h online/presencial

The purpose of the Portuguese Comp. ACT peer consultation group is two fold:

1) Provide ongoing didactic and experiential training in the competent use of ACT with a variety of clinical and non problems. Certain group members may serve as the senior content experts; however, as participants in the consultation group attend and participate over time, they will be expected to actively present material to others (the see one, do one, teach one model) and take responsibility for the direction of the group. Group members also commit to outside learning in the form of reading books, intentional practice, attending trainings, and/or joining the ACT listserv, as it is impossible to cover every aspect of the comp. ACT model in a two hour monthly meeting.

2) To provide consultation to individuals who are working to apply compassion ACT in their clinical or non-clinical (sport context/social, etc) work. This group is for people who are actively interested in using ACT in their work and want to improve their application of ACT principles. Consultation may involve case conceptualization, practicing experiential exercises, role-plays, or discussion of whether ACT is appropriate for a given patient or presenting problem.

Membership

• While not diminishing the importance of other forms of knowledge, we agree that this is an Compassion ACT-focused consultation group, not a general consultation group. Thus, we will work to focus the group on the application of Compassion and ACT principles and work to come back to these principles when the focus wanders.
• Group members agree to hold the content of what others say int he consultation groups confidential out of respect to the attendees and the individuals with whom we work – this is important both with respect to the sharing of difficult clinical cases and for experiential exercises that may occuring the group.
• Group members also agree to practice radical respect for one another and to realize that they are in the “same soup” with one another – just as we strive to do with clients in therapy or prevention intervention programs or ACT interventions in specific contexts
• Discussion of group process is not a primary goal of the group, although if there are issues present in real time in the group that are relevant to the understanding of the ACT model, those can be used as invivo examples.

Group values:
Creating caring communities (perhaps with as small as two members, like with our clients) where people are supported in living toward possibilities that they may not even see, rather than living out of limiting ideas of how they think life works. We will work to bring this sense of freedom and possibility in to this group.

• Lifelong learning and nurturing a “beginner's mind” to remain open to surprise, wisdom, and wonder.
• Openness to alternative perspectives.
• Living a life that is present, open, and authentic.
• Making this work more manifest in our own lives and in teaching it to those who also care to learn about it.

Individual commitments that have been spoken to thus far:

• I commit willingly to feeling what I will feel when I model what I know,both verbally and non verbally,abou thow to live Compassion mind and ACT.
• I will work to shape the group process so that we have a group that doesn't simply talk about ACT, but actually does Comp. ACT in our meetings.
• I will work to create an experience of choice in the group,not coercion.
• I commit to valuing the values oft hose in this group.
• I commit to willingly to experience whatever shows up for me. I am committed towillingly have my discomfort in our group.
• I will bring my full self to the meetings.
• I commit to doing the hard work in life (in addition to during group) that I ask my clients to do each day by showing up fully
• not attempting to check my insecurities at the door on the way in
• I commit to be an active and willing participant in the group.
• I will prepare for the group meetings in someway, either preparing a case, a question, or an intention for my self for the meeting.
• I will not buy the story “yeah, but I'm not as real of an ACTtherapist as X” as that only serves an avoidance function for me and does not move me towards being the therapist I want to be for the clients I serve.
• I commit to process experiential exercises from an honest personalst and point and not attempt to separate my own experience from that which “clients” experience.
• I commit to allowing every one in our group space to experience what they experience – not rescuing others – when painful internal experiences arise in relation to an experiential exercise or discussing challenging clinical or psychoeductional work.
• I commit to being open to feedback from the group with a corresponding willingness to ask questions if I do not understand or disagree.
• I plan to use the ACTmodel consistently during the 2-hour meeting in order to learn new skills and to practice and refine those skills I am familiar with.
• In order to learn, I commit to act, fail, learn and continue to advance my knowledge of ACT.
• I commit to practice risk-taking in both presenting and playing the “therapist role” in our meetings.
• I will appreciate the efforts of all other group members and support them where I can.
• I will respect others and value their contributions.
• I commit to work toward differentiating between that which is ACT-consistent and that which is ACT-inconsistent.
• I commit to asking questions when I'm not sure of something.
• I am committed to offering my self as a resource for the training mission of the group.
• I am committed to making the group a place where I choose to grow and learn about ACT and functional contextualism. I will do this even if my thoughts and feelings suggest otherwise, and will make an effort to be there with patience and compassion.
• I commit to having fun.

Meeting Information

Online (zoom) or presential (Aveiro/Coimbra/Viseu) every last friday of each month ( 14h30-16h30, Lisbon local time)

Contact Information

ACT Peer Consultation Group for Sweden

Format of the Group
Swedish Speaking

Membership
Swedish speaking, member of the Swedish Chapter.

Meeting Information
Every forth Monday in the month starting January 23rd 2023.
Time: 19-20:30 Swedish time

Contact Information
Thor Bengtsson, President of the Local Swedish Chapter
thor.bengtsson+acbssweden@gmail.com

---

Vi träffas med jämna mellanrum (tiderna för våren 2023 kommer längre ner) digitalt.
Deltagandet är gratis och bara tillgängligt för medlemmar i ACBS Sweden.
För att behålla en trygg atmosfär tar vi oss rätten att stänga tillträdet till gruppen när det blir för många (Internationellt brukar max 8 per möte vara lagom).
Vi respekterar varandra och pratar aldrig om det någon har delat med sig av i mötet utanför mötet.

Varje möte varar 90 minuter och bygger på aktivt deltagande från alla och vi hjälper alla att förstå strukturen. Men i stort sett går det ut på följande:

• Välkommen
• En person utses som håller i tidsramar och struktur
• En deltagare håller en kort mindfulnessövning
• Alla ger positiv återkoppling
• Två personer träder fram, en som tar en "terapeutroll" och en som tar en "klientroll". Den som tar klientrollen pratar om riktiga problem den själv upplever, det vill säga "real play".
• Första rundan varar ca 15 minuter, då leder samtalet fram till där klienten "fastnar".
• Efteråt en runda med positiv återkoppling från alla.
• Andra rundan prövar terapeuten en intervention. Ibland kan vi byta så att en annan får vara terapeut om terapeuten vill det.
• Slutligen en tredje runda med positiv återkoppling.

Det går att läsa mer om konceptet här.

Datum för våren 2023, alla datum är tiden 19-20:30:
23/1
27/2
27/3
24/4
22/5
26/6
 

Observera att tryckfelsnisse har varit framme, det är ju fjärde MÅNDAGEN vi siktar på att ses. Nya datum här!

ACT Peer Consultation Group for Tucson, AZ, USA

Contact Information
Jonathan Kandell, LCSW, LISAC
Director of Therapy Services
Codac Behavioral Health Inc.
327-4505 x1087

ACT Peer Consultation Group for Tampa, FL, USA

Format of the Group
Our monthly meetings consist of didactic peer-to-peer supervision, experiential exercises, and role/real plays, and case consultation to advance knowledge and use of contextual behavioral sciences (CBS), including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). The Portland Model is often used as a guide for each meeting, though it is not strictly adhered to for every meeting to allow for workable flexibility.

Membership
Some knowledge of CBS is recommended but not required. All skill levels are welcome.

Meeting Information
Meeting are held the first Friday of every month from 10:00am - 12:00pm EST.
14502 Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL 33618-2022

ACT Peer Consultation Group for Athens, GA, USA

Format of the Group
The group meets once a month. For the past three years, we have chosen a book to guide us for the year. First, we went through ACT Made Simple by Harris, then Wilson and Dufrene's Mindfulnesss for Two, then ACT on Life, not on Anger. During our meetings, we share experiential exercises, consult on cases, and generally explore how to use ACT in our work.

Membership
People working in mental health or students in a related field are invited to participate. One need not already be conversant in ACT. Members are required to commit to at least three months of participation to join the group to promote group cohesion.

Meeting Information
Times, dates, and locations vary.

Contact Information
Contact Kate Morrissey Stahl at katemorrisseystahl@gmail.com for more information or to join.

ACT Peer Consultation Group for Atlanta, GA, USA

Format of the Group
We follow the Portland Model of case consultation (https://contextualscience.org/portland_model_of_peertopeer_consult). We also read a text together in the weeks between meetings for discussion and practice.

Membership
Requirement for membership: an Atlanta-based mental health practitioner who either actively uses ACT in their practice or is seeking help in how to learn and practice ACT. All skill levels are welcome and we have a diverse experience level among our members.

Meeting Information
We meet once/month, currently the first Friday, from 9a-11a. We meet in Oakhurst and most of our members practice in Oakhurst, Decatur, Brookhaven, and Buckhead.

Contact Information
Rachel Waford Hall, PhD
phone: 404-969-5395
email: rachelwaford@gmail.com

 

 

(This webpage was updated on January 20, 2019)
 

ACT Peer Consultation Group for Augusta, GA, USA

Format of the Group
This group has sometimes focused on particular topics in learning ACT and other times has focused on case consultation. We are currently following the Portland model of peer consultation, engaging in role play to practice skills and obtain consultation help.

Membership
Any graduate level students or licensed mental health professionals interested in learning ACT are welcome to join.

Meeting Information
We are meeting the first and third Fridays of the month, from 12pm - 1pm on the Health Sciences Campus at Augusta University. Call for directions.

Contact Information
For more information or to join us contact Amy House
ahouse@augusta.edu

The Rush Mindfulness Collaborative offers peer supervision for clinicians and students interested in Mindfulness-Based Approaches to therapy. The group meets Wednesday's 12:05-12:55. Participants are welcome to join us at Rush University Medical Center or by phone. If interested, please e-mail James Hill at jim@moritaschool.com to recieve more information.

ACT Peer Consultation Group for Portland, ME, USA

Format of the Group
The group provides a supportive place for members to learn together using a variety of formats including case presentations, discussion of relevant ACT topics, practice of mindfulness exercises, occasional practice of other experiential exercises, and other formats.  Please review this site (www.smact.me) for more information and sample agendas.

Membership
The group is a mix of 10+ individuals from various mental health and healthcare disciplines. The group has recently decided to be OPEN to new members. We ask that new members (a) already have introductory training in ACT and some self-study, (b) have an interest in gaining knowledge and improving skills with ACT, and (c) make a commitment to regular monthly attendance (i.e., attending more often than not). This group is only open to professionals in healthcare and mental healthcare fields (not open to the general public).

Meeting Information
We currently run an ACT Peer Consultation Group here in Portland, Maine, on the third Friday of each month from 8 to 9:30 a.m.

Contact Information
If you are interested in participating in our group, please contact Joel Guarna (joel.whitepine@gmail.com) for additional information and to be placed on the email list where we discuss the agenda and make plans. We hope you will join us!

SUPERVISION & PRACTICE GROUPS:

NYC has at least two running supervision groups running and intermittently taking new members. They usually require a willingness to commit to attending monthly meetings for a least a period of several months to a year. These groups are primarially focused on peer case presentation & ACT case conceptualization. They sometimes assign books and/or chapters for dicussion. Other activites may include role-playing, ACT experientials, & rehearsing specific ACT interventions. They are usually hosted by at least one ACT experienced professional.

1. ACT-NYCE (ACT in NYC Environs):

Meets fourth Wed., of every month at the New School; contact Jonathan Kaplan, PhD: doctor.kaplan@gmail.com, or Brian Pilecki, MA: pilecki@gmail.com

2. Union Square ACT Study Group:

Meets monthly, at 41 Union Square W, Suite 736, Contact Rob Handelman, PsyD, drrob@hotmail.com

3. Monthly ACT Open Practice/Study Group:

Not structured as a peer-to-peer supervision group, but as an open and rotating audience of ACT interested professionals. Monthly format alternates between one month ACT case conference, the alternate month emphasizes facilitated practice/experientials (with rotating experienced ACT facilitators). Regular monthly meetings the third Thursday of every month, from 7:00-8:45, at The Village Community School, 272-278 West 10th Street, N Contact: Brian Pilecki, pilecki@gmail.com.

For more information on ACT in NYC see NYC-ACBS webpage: www.nycacbs.com

ACT Peer Consultation Group for Troy, NY, USA

Format of the Group
We do case consultations, discussions of ACT and ACT-related theories (e.g., FAP) and therapy techniques, as well as sharing information about publications and training conferences.

Membership
So far the membership has consisted of 3 licensed psychologists. However group membership is open to any State-licensed or State-certified mental health professional (e.g., social workers, psychiatrists, school psychologists, psychiatric nurse practitioners).

Meeting Information
Monthly Monday morning meetings, usually from 9 to 1030 am, are at the office of Dr. Martin Lyden. The address is 267 Hoosick Street, Troy, NY 12180 (see the website, drlyden.com, for driving directions and a map). The specific Monday may vary from month to month.

Contact Information
Martin Lyden, Ph.D.
E-mail: drmartinjlyden@gmail.com
Phone: 518-271-6949

Durham, North Carolina (USA) has a Community Consultation Group that meets once a month. It is led by Dr. Rhonda Merwin. Additional information can be found on the website: www.ACTatDuke.org.

 

(This information was submitted by Lisa Honeycutt on June 13, 2017)

ACT Peer Consultation Group for Columbus, OH, USA

Format of the Group
Enjoy having lunch with others who are interested in studying ACT and RFT!
- ACT live case training videos and discussion.
- Recent articles, research, and book discussions.
- Open compassionate environment to learn from one another regardless of how much or how little ACT experience one has!
- Have fun while building an ACT community in the Central Ohio area! 

Membership
Anyone with an interest in ACT and RFT is welcome to attend!

Meeting Information
We will meet one Friday a month for lunch from 12:00-1:45.

Contact Information
Chris Fraser
chrisfraser@mypositivepath.org
Ph:614-425-3586

ACT Peer Consultation Group for Marietta, OH, USA

Format of the Group
We meet to share lunch, and our knowledge and experiences with ACT.

Membership
No experience necessary, just a willingness to learn.

Meeting Information
We meet one Friday a month from 12-2pm for lunch.

Contact Information
Please contact David Schaffer at david@davidschaffer.net if you are interested or have questions.

ACT Peer Consultation Group for Portland, OR, USA

Format of the Group
Some sessions focus on particular topics, while others are open to consultation on ongoing cases using the ACT model.

Membership
Attendance is open to any therapist or student-in-training who is interested in learning ACT.

Meeting Information
Since 11/4/05, this group of professionals has been meeting in the Portland, Oregon, area on the second Friday of every month from 3:30-5:30pm.

Contact Information
For more information about the group, our values, and what we do, see: https://www.portlandpsychotherapytraining.com/acceptance-and-commitment-therapy-peer-clinical-consultation-group/

ACT Peer Consultation Group in Austin, TX

Format of the Group
We open each group with a brief mindfulness activity. We then open the floor to discuss any ACT related questions. Then we choose roles: Case Presenter, Skill Builder, and Process Monitors depending on attendance. The Case Presenter and Skill Builder role play a case, while the Process Monitors take notes on the Skill Builder's use of ACT Core Competencies. After the role play we all discuss the processes we observed and give feedback to the Skill Builder. Roles change each week.

Membership
Attendance is open to any therapist or student-in-training who is interested in learning ACT.

Meeting Information

We meet the last Monday of every Month from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Austin Mindfulness Center.

Contact Information

Jiovann Carrasco, LPC-S

Austin Mindfulness Center

9501 Capital of Texas Hwy Suite 103

Austin, TX 78759

512-578-8070 ext. 101

Or join our local Yahoo! Group: ACT in Austin

ACT Peer Consultation Group for Seattle, WA, USA

Format of the Group
Our consultation group is based on the consultation group model developed at Portland Psychotherapy (www.portlandpsychotherapyclinic.com). The two priorities of the group are to learn and practice ACT; we have adopted the Portland Psychotherapy group consultation model because it provides a structure and format to help facilitate learning ACT and to reduce or avoid some of the challenges that occur with consultation groups dedicated to learning a specific therapy. We are guided by our values of acting with compassion and courage, and being open and willing to support each other in our learning. The group is divided into 2 segments: the first segment (lasting about 1 hour) is dedicated to learning/sharing brief ACT exercises, discussing ACT-related topics, and ACT-focused case consultation. The second segment (lasting about 1 hour) is experiential practice of ACT skills, typically through a role play of clinical situations/experiences. Although we follow a very structured format we have a lot of fun and have tasty snacks at all of our meetings!

Membership
Mental health care provider or researcher; open to all levels of experience with ACT, although some familiarity with contextual behavioral science may be helpful.

Meeting Information
1st Friday of each month from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. at Seattle Psychology, PLLC located in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle (corner of N. 45th and Stone Way).

Contact Information
Christeine Terry: christeineterry@gmail.com; 206-963-6313.

ACT Peer Consultation Group for Spokane, WA, USA

Format of the Group
Facebook dialogue via closed group discussions, sharing of resources and learning opportunities, occasional in-person meetings.

Membership
Professional mental health or applied behavior analysis background, and an interest in ACT.

Meeting Information
TBA on Facebook page as they are determined.

Contact Information
Facebook page: Spokane ACT - Professionals Collaboration Group
 

ACT Peer Consultation Group for Parkersburg, WV, USA

Format of the Group
We meet to share lunch, and our knowledge and experiences with ACT.

Membership
No experience necessary, just a willingness to learn.

Meeting Information
We meet one Friday a month from 12-2 for lunch.

Contact Information
Please contact David Schaffer at david@davidschaffer.net if you are interested or have questions.

We meet at Birmingham University every other month on the second Wednesday.   Please contact jimlucas for more details.

 

(This information was submitted on May 1, 2018)