Mindfulness and ACT: Connecting Buddhist Meditation Practices to ACT/RFT Concepts - Fletcher

ACT is one of several third wave behavioral treatments to incorporate mindfulness into therapy. The term mindfulness is borrowed from Eastern religious and spiritual traditions that emphasize meditation practice as an important technique for the alleviation of suffering. While many third-wave therapies emphasize informal mindfulness practices, including ACT, this workshop will explore the inclusion of "formal" practices that may enhance treatment when they are adapted for use with the ACT model. Buddhist traditions provide a nearly limitless supply of different meditation practices that may be adapted to work with ACT concepts. Specifically, tonglen practice, loving kindness meditation, vipassana, and other meditation techniques will be introduced and additional exercises that were not presented at least year's workshop. The purpose of this workshop will be to teach participants how to conceptualize particular meditation techniques in ACT/RFT terms and to apply these techniques to therapy. During the workshop we will accomplish these goals by introducing a variety of meditation techniques within an experiential format. These techniques will also be tied to a larger context by relating them to ACT core processes. Thus, clinicians will learn to apply these techniques and conceptualize their application according to specific ACT core processes and RFT.

Lindsay Fletcher