ACBS Newsletter

January 2018

The Journey From Pain to Change! The ACBS Turkey Chapter Hosts Its First Congress

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Ahmet Nalbant, M.D., the president of the ACBS Turkey Chapter, examines how the organizing and hosting of their first ACT Congress reinforced the chapter's values. The Turkey chapter was formed in 2013 and four years later the chapter held the first ACT congress in the region. Hundreds of people attended the congress in Istanbul in September 2017. You can read about the ACBS Turkey Chapter's journey here.

Mindfulness and Acceptance-Based Trainings for Fostering Self-Care and Reducing Stress in Mental Health Professionals: A Systematic Review

In JCBS Vol. 6 Issue 4, Myriam Rudaz, Michael Twohig, Clarissa Ong, and Michael Levin review the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to foster self-care and reduce stress in mental health professionals. The paper explains that most studies support the benefit of these trainings to change process variables. ACBS members can read it for free in the member portal.

Call for Nominations: Board of Directors

It's time again for elections to the ACBS Board of Directors! Being on the ACBS Board is a fun and rewarding experience, and an opportunity to help shape a vibrant, creative, and collaborative contextual behavioral community. This year, we will need to elect 5 new members to the board: President, Secretary-Treasurer, Student Representative, and 2 Members-at-large. If you would like to nominate someone, please submit them here by February 2, 2018.

New Chapters and Affiliates

In 2017, ACBS members formed a new chapter (Brazil) and three new affiliates (Romania; Albuquerque & Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Louisiana & Mississippi). Chapters and Affiliates are membership groups associated with ACBS through their interest in the dissemination and growth of ACBS values. Affiliates are smaller & simpler than chapters; however, both types of groups can do most of the same activities, such as workshops or peer supervision groups. See the full list of 60+ chapters and affiliates on the ACBS website.

World Conference 16: Scholarship Deadlines

- Developing Nations Conference Scholarships - Deadline is February 1, 2018.
- Diversity Committee Conference Scholarships - Deadline is February 1, 2018.
- Student Conference Scholarships - Deadline is February 15, 2018.
- Not sure if the Diversity or Developing Nations scholarships apply to you? Click here to learn more.

Renew Your Membership in ACBS Today!

See you in Montréal, Canada, at the 16th ACBS World Conference!

July 24-29, 2018. Click here for more information.

ACBS Newsletter

February 2018

ACBS Research Development Grants

Congratulations to Karoly Schlosser, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK and to Elena Ballantyne, Psy.D., McMaster University, Canada for being awarded the 2017 - 2018 ACBS Research Development Grants. You can read about their projects on the ACBS website.

Student Spotlight Award

In conjunction with the ACBS Student SIG, it is our pleasure to introduce the most recent student spotlight award recipient! This month's featured student is Joanna Kaye, a fourth year graduate student studying at Drexel University. You can learn about Joanna and her work here.

Thank You to the Chapter and SIG Committee

ACBS committees are staffed entirely by volunteers. We want to thank the Chapter and SIG Committee chairs Mark Sisti and Brian Pilecki and their committee members for the stellar work that they do. The primary function of the Chapter and SIG Committee is to advise and support existing ACBS chapters, affiliates, and SIGs, as well as to promote the development and organization of new ones.

The Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Matrix Mobile App: A Pilot Randomized Trial on Health Behaviors

In JCBS Vol. 6 Issue 3, Michael Levin, Benjamin Pierce, and Benjamin Schoendorff evaluated an ACT-based app for health behaviors based on the matrix approach. The paper explains that participants who adhered to the app improved more on health behaviors and the rate of reported valued actions increased over days using the app. ACBS members can read it for free in the JCBS member portal.

World Conference 16: Poster Submission Deadline

During the poster session at ACBS World Conference 16, attendees will have the opportunity to examine posters and interact with presenters. Posters usually report empirical research and will be organized into one or more sessions. The Call for Submissions deadline for poster presentations is March 20, 2018.

World Conference 16 Pre-Conference Workshop: Connecting Across Cultural Differences in Moments that Matter: A CBS Skills Based Approach

Jonathan Kanter, Daniel Rosen, and Mary Plummer Loudon will be presenting the pre-conference workshop "Connecting across Cultural Differences in Moments that Matter: A CBS Skills Based Approach" on Tuesday July 24 and Wednesday July 25. You can read more about the workshop here. Kanter, Rosen, and Loudon are donating the speaker proceeds for this workshop to the ACBS Diversity Committee Scholarhip Fund.

Submitting Items to the Newsletter

Do you have something newsworthy for ACBS to share? If you have any ideas for articles or Q&A sessions that you would like to see included in the next ACBS newsletter, please submit them via e-mail to acbsstaff@contextualscience.org. We would love to share your community projects, research findings, outreach programs and other relevant news to the ACBS community!

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ACBS Newsletter

March 2018

Michael J. Asher Dissertation Award

We are pleased to announce the winners of the Michael J. Asher Student Dissertation Award: Samuel Faulkner, East Carolina University, for his dissertation focusing on using psychological flexibility with youth from a disadvantaged area in order to target health-related behaviors; and second place winner Yuen-yu Chong, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, for her randomized control study which examined the effects of a parent training program using ACT therapy for managing children with asthma.

ACBS Board of Directors for 2018 - 2019

It is our great pleasure to announce the 2018 - 2019 ACBS Board of Directors:
President Louise Hayes; President-Elect Dennis Tirch; Past-President Nanni Presti; Secretary-Treasurer Maria Karekla; Members-at-Large Miranda Morris, Lisa Coyne, Amy Murrell, and Jonathan Bricker;Student Representative Sonia Singh.

Student Spotlight Award

In conjunction with the ACBS Student Special Interest Group (SIG), it is our pleasure to introduce the most recent student spotlight award recipient! This month's featured student is Inês A. Trindade, a graduate student studying at University of Coimbra, Portugal. You can learn about Inês and her work here.

Thank You to the Awards Committee

ACBS committees are staffed entirely by volunteers. We want to thank the Awards Committee Chair Joann Wright and her committee members for the stellar work that they do. The Awards Committee recognizes the important works of those who have excelled in various aspects in the field of contextual behavioral science.

Conceptual Advances in the Cognitive Neuroscience of Learning: Implications for Relational Frame Theory

In JCBS Vol. 6 Issue 3, Nigel A. Vahey, Marc Bennett, and Robert Whelan state that cognitive neuroscience has developed many approaches to the study of learning that might be useful to functionally oriented researchers. The paper explains how cognitive neuroscience can foster conceptual and empirical development in Relational Frame Theory (RFT). ACBS members can read it for free in the JCBS member portal.

Submitting Dissertations to the ACBS Website

Do you have a CBS dissertation? Then please email your dissertation and citation to acbsstaff@contextualscience.org and we will post it on the ACBS website. We know you put alot of work into your dissertation, so we encourage you to share your dissertation so that other ACBS members may read it!

ACBS Annual World Conference 16

See you in Montréal, Canada!
July 24-29, 2018
Click here for more information.

World Conference 16: Pre-Conference Workshop Débuter et approfondir sa pratique de la thérapie d’acceptation et d’engagement (ACT): un atelier de mise en pratique

Frédérick Dionne, Jana Grand, and Jean-Christophe Seznec will be presenting the pre-conference workshop Débuter et approfondir sa pratique de la thérapie d’acceptation et d’engagement (ACT): un atelier de mise en pratique on Tuesday July 24 and Wednesday July 25, 2018 in Montréal. You can read more about the workshop here.

World Conference 16: Invited Speaker Susan David

Susan David, Ph.D., a Harvard Medical School psychologist, studies emotional agility. She recently delivered the TedTalk "The Gift and Power of Emotional Courage" at the official TedWomen Conference. Susan David will give an invited talk at the ACBS World Conference 16 in July 2018 in Montréal. We are excited to listen to her speak to the ACBS community!

ACBS Newsletter

May 2018

2018 Diversity Committee Scholars Announced

Congratulations to 2018 Diversity Committee Scholars Gillian Grannum, Emily Munoz, Paola Ricardo, and Margaret McLauchlan. The Diversity Committee provides scholarships to attend the ACBS World Conference to ACBS members who are from varied backgrounds and who would not be able to attend without this added financial support. The scholarships are financed by money raised from the ACBS community. To donate, please visit the Diversity Committee Fund page.

Thank you to the Diversity Committee

ACBS committees are staffed entirely by volunteers. We want to thank the Diversity Committee Co-Chairs Khashayar Farhadi Langroudi and Sandra Georgescu and their committee members for the valuable work that they do. The Diversity Committee is dedicated to creating a more inclusive ACBS community that is sensitive to diverse personal and professional backgrounds and their perspectives, experiences, and insights.

Student Spotlight Award

In conjunction with the ACBS Student Special Interest Group (SIG), it is our pleasure to introduce the most recent student spotlight award recipient! This month's featured student is Kevin Davies, a graduate student studying at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, USA. You can learn about Kevin and his work here.

What is the evidence for the efficacy of self-help acceptance and commitment therapy? A systematic review and meta-analysis

In JCBS Vol. 6 Issue 4, Kate French, Nima Golijani-Moghaddam, and Thomas Schröder identified and reviewed thirteen peer-reviewed randomized controlled trials totaling 2580 participants. The paper concludes that greater clinician guidance is seen to improve outcomes of ACT self-help and that psychological flexibility is a likely moderator of depression and anxiety outcomes. ACBS members can read it for free in the JCBS member portal.

Submitting Academic Training and Research Labs to the ACBS Website

Do you work in an Academic Training and Research Lab? Then please email information about your CBS lab to acbsstaff@contextualscience.org and we will post it on the ACBS website. If your lab is already on the list, please make sure your lab's information is up-to-date. You can email any corrections to acbsstaff@contextualscience.org.

ACBS Annual World Conference 16

Montréal, Canada
July 24-29, 2018
Early Registration Rates end on Friday May 4, 2018. Register now to get the discounted Early Registration rate.

World Conference 16 Pre-Conference Workshop: A Functional Contextualist Approach to Early Language Training: Using Relational Frame Theory to Promote Linguistic Generativity

Siri Ming, Ian Stewart, John McElwee, and Diana Ferroni-Bast will be presenting the pre-conference workshop A Functional Contextualist Approach to Early Language Training: Using Relational Frame Theory to Promote Linguistic Generativity on Tuesday July 24 and Wednesday July 25, 2018 in Montréal. You can read more about the workshop here.

World Conference 16 Invited Speaker: Christopher Martell

Christopher Martell, University of Massachusetts Amherst, is the co-author of eight books, he has published widely on behavioral treatments for depression, couples therapy, and issues affecting gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals. He is first author of Behavioral Activation for Depression: A Clinician's Guide, and Depression in Context: Strategies for Guided Action. Christopher Martell will give an invited talk at the ACBS World Conference 16 in Montréal in July 2018.

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ACBS Newsletter

May 2018

Thank you to the Publications Committee

ACBS committees are staffed entirely by volunteers. We want to thank the Publications Committee Chair Steve Hayes and the committee members Dermot Barnes-Holmes, Lance McCracken, Rhonda Merwin, and Todd Kashdan. The purpose of the Publications Committee is to help develop the quality and impact of the Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science (JCBS) and to improve the oversight and management of ACBS over JCBS.

An investigation into the relationship between the three selves (Self-as-Content, Self-as-Process and Self-as-Context) and mental health in adolescents

In JCBS Vol. 7 Issue 1, Orla Moran, Priscilla Almada, and Louise McHugh tested the self model based on predictions from Contextual Behavioral Science. The paper states a significant model emerged indicating that the three selves model is predictive of mental health in adolescents. ACBS members can read it for free in the JCBS member portal.

Student Spotlight Award

In conjunction with the ACBS Student Special Interest Group (SIG), it is our pleasure to introduce the most recent Student Spotlight Award recipient! This month's featured student is Jessica Stark, a graduate student studying at Antioch University, Seattle, USA. You can learn about Jessica and her work here.

Submitting Internships to the ACBS Website

Does your organization have internships in ACT or CBS? Then please email information about the internship to acbsstaff@contextualscience.org and we will post it on the ACBS website. If your internship is already on the list, please make sure the information is up-to-date. You can email any corrections to acbsstaff@contextualscience.org.

Alert: "Counselor Needed" Scam

ACBS has received reports that 3 ACBS members received the same scam email requesting psychological services. The ACBS website has safeguards in place to help limit the quantity of emails that can be sent, as well as the timing, so as to help stop scam emails from coming through. However, depending on how the messages are sent, we unfortunately can’t stop all of them. To protect yourself, please read how this scam works here.

ACBS Annual World Conference 16

Montréal, Canada
Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth Hotel
July 24-29, 2018

World Conference 16 Pre-Conference Workshop: Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: ACT as a Brief Intervention

Patricia Robinson will be presenting the pre-conference workshop Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: ACT as a Brief Intervention on Tuesday July 24 and Wednesday July 25, 2018 in Montréal. You can read more about Patricia Robinson's workshop here.

World Conference 16 Invited Speaker: Lisa Coyne

Lisa Coyne is the Founder and Director of the McLean OCD Institute for Children and Adolescents at McLean Hospital, and is on the Faculty of Harvard Medical School. She is also a Research Associate Professor in the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts. Lisa Coyne will give a plenary address at the ACBS World Conference in Montréal on Thursday July 26.

World Conference 16 Opening Ceremony: Elder, Otsi’tsaken:ra (Speckled Flower, Bear Clan), from the Kanien’keha:ka Community of Kahnawake Otsi’tsaken:ra

The ACBS World Conference 16 opening and closing ceremonies will be led by Elder, Otsi’tsaken:ra (Speckled Flower, Bear Clan), from the Kanien’keha:ka Community of Kahnawake. The opening ceremony will be at 8:40am on Thursday July 26 and the closing ceremony will be at 12:10pm on Sunday July 29. Read more on the ACBS website.

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ACBS Newsletter

June 2018

International Collaboration Made "III Poznańska Konferencja ACT i CBS" a Success

The ACBS Poland Chapter held the "III Poznańska Konferencja ACT i CBS" in May 2018 in the city of Poznań. This 2 day conference was the first ACBS regional conference to have only European trainers and presenters. Click here to read more about how international collaboration made the Polish conference a success.

Congratulations to the new ACBS Fellows

ACBS is pleased to announce our 2018 class of Fellows:
Paul Atkins, Ph.D., Andrew Gloster, Ph.D., Eric Morris, Ph.D., Graciela Rovner, Ph.D., Ross White, Ph.D., and Joann Wright, Ph.D.
Congratulations and thank you for your contributions to contextual behavioral science and to the ACBS community.

Developing Nations Scholars

Congratulations to the 2018 Developing Nations Scholars: Iqbalzada Abdul Hadi (Afghanistan), Fresia Hernandez (Mexico), and Kizito Wamala (Uganda). The Developing Nations Committee provides scholarships to attend the ACBS World Conference to ACBS members who are from emerging economy countries and who would not be able to attend without this added financial support.

Thank you to the Developing Nations Committee

ACBS committees are staffed entirely by volunteers. We want to thank the Developing Nations Committee Chair, Rosco Kasujja, Ph.D., and the committee members. The ACBS Developing Nations Committee links ACBS members from developing nations to the bigger ACBS Community. The committee also selects the recipients of the Developing Nations Scholarship and conducts fundraising for the Developing Nations Training Fund.

Psychological inflexibility and stigma: A meta-analytic review

In JCBS Vol. 7, Jennifer Krafft, Jillian Ferrell, Michael E. Levin, and Michael P. Twohig did a systematic review of interventions, identifying 15 studies on ACT interventions for stigma. Initial findings indicate consistent reductions in stigma following ACT interventions, as well as improved outcomes relative to active controls. ACBS members can read the paper for free in the JCBS member portal.

The ACBS Grant Committee Needs Your Help!

ACBS provides two $5,000 grants for research that advances the field of CBS through Research Development Grants approved by the ACBS Grant Committee. We are looking for volunteers for the current grant cycle to help us select the grant recipients. Each grant application will be reviewed by two reviewers, and the review of each application takes approximately 45 minutes. If you are available to be a grant reviewer during October 2018, then we encourage you to fill out a quick, 2-minute webform.

ACBS Annual World Conference 16

Montréal, Canada
Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth Hotel
July 24-29, 2018

World Conference 16 Pre-Conference Workshop: ACT therapists’ use of self: Working with self; working with stuckness

Helen Bolderston and David Gillanders will be presenting the pre-conference workshop ACT therapists’ use of self: Working with self; working with stuckness on Tuesday, July 24 and Wednesday, July 25, 2018 in Montréal. You can read more about their workshop here.

World Conference 16 Invited Speaker: Sue Johnson

Sue Johnson, Ed.D. is the leading developer of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). She is a Professor Emeritus of Clinical Psychology at the University of Ottawa, the Distinguished Research Professor in the Marital & Family Therapy Program at Alliant University in San Diego, Director of the ICEEFT and Director of the Ottawa Couple and Family Institute Inc. Sue Johnson will be presenting her plenary address "EFT: The science and soul of couple therapy" on Thursday, July 26, 2018 in Montréal.

Renew Your Membership in ACBS Today!

ACBS Newsletter

July 2018

ACBS Joins Coalition of Behavioral Science Organizations

The ACBS Board of Directors voted to join the Association for Behavior Analysis International, Association for Positive Behavior Support, Evolution Institute, National Prevention Science Coalition, and Society of Behavioral Medicine in forming a new Coalition of Behavioral Science Organizations, with Dr. Emily Sandoz as ACBS’ representative to the Coalition. Read more about the Coalition on the ACBS website.

Student World Conference Scholars

Congratulations to the 2018 Student World Conference Scholars: Karoly Schlosser (UK), Benjamin Ramos (UK), Zülal ÇELİK (Turkey), Merve Terzioglu (Turkey), and Michael McGlenn (USA). The ACBS Student SIG provides scholarships that help subsidize the costs of attending the annual ACBS World Conference.

JCBS: Journal Impact Factor

The Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science (JCBS) received its first Clarivate Analytics (formerly of Thomson Reuters) Journal Impact Factor in the 2018 release of the Journal Citations Report. The impact was estimated at 1.216. Read more about the JCBS' Journal Impact Factor on the ACBS website.

List Your ACT Postdoctoral Fellowship on the ACBS Website

Does your organization have Postdoctoral Fellowships in ACT or CBS? Then please email information about the fellowship to acbsstaff@contextualscience.org and we will post it on the ACBS website. If your fellowship is already on the website, please make sure the information is up-to-date. You can email any corrections to acbsstaff@contextualscience.org.

ACBS World Conference 17: Dublin, Ireland

ACBS World Conference 17
Dublin, Ireland
June 25 - 30, 2019

Where in the world will ACBS World Conference 18 be?

We are proud to announce the ACBS World Conference 18 will be held in
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA from July 14-19, 2020!

Renew Your Membership in ACBS Today!

ACBS Newsletter

August 2018

ACBS Research Development Grant: Application Deadline October 1, 2018

Are you a researcher or student searching for a funding source for any contexual behavioral science-related project? ACBS provides two Research Development Grants, up to $5,000 USD, for research that advances the field of contextual behavioral science. The deadline to apply is October 1, 2018.

Interview with ACBS Member Alison Benedict

Welcome to a new feature of the ACBS monthly newsletter where we learn more about the inspiring work of ACBS members. In our first installment, we will learn about Alison Kiawenniserathe Benedict, MSW, RSW, a social worker practicing as a Provincial Aboriginal Training Coordinator in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

Evaluating the effects of Acceptance and Commitment Training on the overt behavior of parents of children with autism

In JCBS Vol. 7, Evelyn R. Gould, Jonathan Tarbox, and Lisa Coyne studied the effects of Acceptance and Commitment Training on values-directed overt behavior in parents of children with ASD. Exploratory data suggested decreases in parental experiential avoidance and increases in self-compassion. ACBS members can read the paper for free in the JCBS member portal.

ACBS World Conference 16 Recap

ACBS Student Representative Sonia Singh attended her fourth ACBS World Conference. In her blog, you can read why she keeps coming back year after year; her reflections and insights about the annual conference; and some highlights and photos from this year's conference in Montreal, Canada.

Thank You to the World Conference 16 Program Committee

Thank you to the World Conference 16 Program Committee Chairs Aisling Leonard-Curtin and Frédérick Dionne and the dozens of people who volunteered for the Program Committee. Their hardwork and meticulous planning made ACBS World Conference 16 an outstanding event!

Early Career Research Paper Award

At the World Conference 16, ACBS piloted the Early Career Research Paper Award program to recognize a rising star researcher presenting a study at the conference. This year's winner was Yuen-yu Chong, Ph.D. She conducted a randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of an ACT program to help parents respond more effectively to their young children's asthma behaviors.

World Conference 17: Dublin, Ireland

ACBS World Conference 17: Dublin, Ireland, June 25 - 30, 2018. Register your interest in the ACBS World Conference 17 on the website and we will send you notifications when items such as the Call for Submissions, Registration, and the program are available.

Renew Your Membership in ACBS Today!

ACBS Newsletter

September 2018

ACBS Research Development Grant: Application Deadline October 1, 2018

Are you a researcher or student searching for a funding source for any contexual behavioral science-related project? ACBS provides two Research Development Grants, up to $5,000 USD, for research that advances the field of contextual behavioral science. The deadline to apply is October 1, 2018.

ACBS Diversity in Publishing Survey: Deadline October 10, 2018

Members of the Women in ACBS SIG and Diversity Committee have created a brief survey about facilitators and barriers to publication. The survey takes 5 – 10 minutes to complete. The survey closes October 10, 2018. (As a bonus, the ACBS Board has agreed to provide 2-year ACBS memberships to four survey respondents, to be chosen randomly through a raffle.)

ACBS Chapters Host Regional Conferences

Are you excited for the ACBS World Conference in Dublin but don't want to wait until June to connect with other ACBS members? Then consider attending a regional conference hosted by one of the ACBS Chapters around the globe. Thanks to volunteer leadership, a number of these chapters are working hard to offer access to local research and training at their own conferences. Find more information about upcoming regional conferences on the ACBS website.

Student Spotlight Award

In conjunction with the ACBS Student Special Interest Group (SIG), it is our pleasure to introduce the most recent Student Spotlight Award recipient! This month's featured student is Raul Vaz Manzione, a RFT-researcher at Centro Paradigma de Ciências do Comportamento, Brazil. You can learn about Raul and his work here.

New ACBS Committee Chairs

We are pleased to announce new Committee Chairs! Program Committee: Louise McHugh & David Gillanders; Grants: Megan Kelly; Communications: Emanuele Rossi; Conference Strategy: Manuela O'Connell; Membership: Margharita Gurrieri; Training: Patricia Bach; See the full list of Committees here. If you are interested in volunteering for a committee, please fill out this form.

Using conceptual developments in RFT to direct case formulation and clinical intervention: Two case summaries

In JCBS Vol. 7, Y. Barnes-Holmes, J. Boorman, J. E.Oliver, M. Thompson, C. McEnteggart, and C. Coulter outline two broad areas in which they believe the basic theory is showing increasingly direct application to therapy. The paper is part of an ongoing effort to better connect RFT with the complexities of clinical phenomena. ACBS members can read it for free in the JCBS member portal.

World Conference 17: Dublin, Ireland

ACBS World Conference 17: Dublin, Ireland, June 25 - 30, 2018. Register your interest in the ACBS World Conference 17 on the website and we will send you notifications when items such as the Call for Submissions, registration, and the program are available.

Renew Your Membership in ACBS Today!

ACBS Newsletter

October 2018

ACT exceeds 250 RCTs!

The 250 Randomized Controlled Trial milestone represents the culmination of more than 30 years of ACT research from this community. The ACBS Communication Committee maintains the list of RCTs on the ACT Randomized Controlled Trials page. It is a great resource with information about each study's trial area, trial conditions, sample size, and link to the full text of the study.

Featured Video: Carmen Luciano's Plenary Address from ACBS World Conference 15

The ACBS video collection has grown to 100 titles! We recommend you view the video of Carmen Luciano's plenary address presented at the ACBS World Conference 15 in Seville, Spain: The Self and Responding to the one's own Behavior: Implications of Coherence and Hierarchical Framing. (You need to login to your ACBS account to view the full collection of videos).

New ACT for Military Personnel Special Interest Group

We are excited to announce the newest ACBS Special Interest Group (SIG), the ACT for Military Personnel SIG! The new SIG’s mission is to promote clinical practice, clinical training, and research of ACT and other CBS consistent therapies for active duty military members and their families. You can join the SIG listserv and learn more about the ACT for Military Personnel SIG here.

Student Spotlight Award: Application Deadline November 23, 2018

The ACBS Student Spotlight Program highlights students who are doing important work in the CBS community, whether for research, clinical, and/or volunteer-humanitarian efforts. This program is a great way to highlight their achievements and let the ACBS community know about important work students are doing. The application deadline is November 23, 2018.

World Conference 17: Dublin, Ireland

June 25 - 30, 2019
Reserve your room now!
Click here for information about World Conference 17 accommodations.

News from the Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science

JCBS VOLUME 8 AND 9: JCBS Volume 8 and 9 are now available on the ACBS website. ACBS members can access the full text version of every article from all nine volumes of the journal. JCBS STUDENT EDITORIAL BOARD: JCBS plans to seat a student editorial board (SEB), comprised of graduate students interested in CBS. Once appointed, SEB members will review JCBS articles, gaining invaluable experience in the peer-review process and helping to steer the content of JCBS. NEW JCBS ZOTERO GROUP: Are you a Zotero user who loves JCBS? Now you can access a public Zotero group with complete abstract and citation information for every article ever published in JCBS (current through volume 9.) Search easily through the publications by author, keyword, tag, and more. Happy researching! NEW CASE STUDY: According to PlumX Metrics, Juan M. Flujas-Contreras and Inmaculada Gómez's article in JCBS Volume 8 has been shared and liked 128 times on social media! This paper describes a case study of ACT applied to the problems in a mother's interaction with her family. The effects of her treatment are reflected in her son, suggesting two-way psychological flexibility between mother and son.

Renew Your Membership in ACBS Today!

ACBS Newsletter

November 2018

ACT in Context Podcast Reboot

The ACT in Context Podcast is back! Our goal with the podcast is to have a series of conversations with some of the interesting members of our CBS community. Produced by Marcel Tasara, hosted by Joanne Steinwachs and Tim Gordon, ACT in Context is being offered as both a traditional podcast with audio and as a video podcast. You can listen to the new podcast episodes on the ACBS website.

New Occupational Therapy and ACT Special Interest Group

We are excited to announce the newest ACBS Special Interest Group (SIG), the Occupational Therapy and ACT SIG! The new SIG will explore all aspects of Occupational Engagement and ACT and will share, discuss, and support current developments between ACT and Occupational Therapy. ACBS members can join the SIG listserv and learn more about the Occupational Therapy and ACT SIG here.

Thank you to the Continuing Education Committee

ACBS committees are staffed entirely by volunteers. We want to thank the CE Committee Chair Hank Robb and his committee members for the stellar work that they do. The Continuing Education (CE) committee is responsible for staying abreast of industry guidelines on Continuing Education. The committee also evaluates ACBS events and co-sponsor training events for CE suitability and approval.

Student Spotlight Award

In conjunction with the ACBS Student Special Interest Group (SIG), it is our pleasure to introduce the most recent Student Spotlight Award recipient! This month's featured student is Amanda Rhodes, a 4th year doctoral candidate in Combined Clinical and School Psychology at Kean University, New Jersey, USA. You can learn about Amanda and her work here.

A multiple-baseline evaluation of a brief acceptance and commitment therapy protocol focused on repetitive negative thinking for moderate emotional disorders

In JCBS Vol. 9, Francisco J. Ruiz et al., state that repetitive negative thinking (RNT) is an experiential avoidance strategy. RNT is usually the first response to aversive private experiences. The paper concludes that ACT protocols focused on disrupting RNT can be very effective. ACBS members can read it for free in the JCBS member portal.

ACBS World Conference 17: Dublin, Ireland June 25 -30, 2019

The Call for Submissions is now open. We are accepting submissions for symposia, papers, panels, workshops, ignite sessions, posters, and chapter/SIG meetings. Please click here for more information about the Call for Submissions. Reserve your room now! Click here for information about World Conference 17 accommodations. Add your name to the World Conference 17 mailing list and we will send you notifications when items such as the program and registration are available. World Conference 17 Scholarships are now open: - Developing Nations Conference Scholars - Deadline is February 1, 2019. - Diversity Conference Scholars - Deadline is February 1, 2019. - Student Conference Scholars - Deadline is February 15, 2019. - Click here to learn about all the conference awards and scholarships that are available.

Renew Your Membership in ACBS Today!

ACBS Newsletter

December 2018

ACBS Research Development Grants

Congratulations to Mary Lally, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, USA and to Nima Golijani Moghaddam, University of Lincoln, UK for being awarded the 2018 - 2019 ACBS Research Development Grants. You can read about their projects on the ACBS website.

Thank you to the Grants Committee

ACBS committees are staffed entirely by volunteers. We want to thank the Grants Committee Chair Megan Kelly and her committee members for the outstanding work that they do. ACBS received 44 grant applications this year and the committee managed the process smoothly and professionally.

Joshua Pritchard Appointed Representative to the Coalition of Behavioral Science Organizations

We are pleased to announce the ACBS Board of Directors has appointed Joshua Pritchard to be the ACBS representative to the Coalition of Behavioral Science Organizations.  You can read more about the Coalition of Behavioral Science Organizations on the ACBS website.

Michael J. Asher Student Dissertation Awards

The Asher Dissertation Awards will be given to two students based on their doctoral dissertation proposal related to the use of Contextual Behavioral Science with children/adolescents. Accompanying this honor will be monetary awards of $750 USD and $250 USD to be used in support of research and/or to facilitate travel to the ACBS annual conference. The deadline to apply is February 1, 2019.

Four New Listservs for Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

ACBS recently created new listservs for four Special Interest Groups (SIGs): Occupational Therapy & ACT SIG, ACT for Military Personnel SIG, Forensic & Corrections SIG, and Contextual Philosophy of Science SIG. Most SIGs have a dedicated listserv for ACBS members to share information that might be of interest to the other SIG members. We encourage you to stay connected with your colleagues by joining a SIG listserv today.  You can see the full list of ACBS listservs on our website.

Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science

From receiving our first Impact Factor score of 1.216 to sharing 79,523 full-text downloads with readers like you, 2018 was an amazing year for JCBS. Spend some of your holiday downtime catching up on what your colleagues have been up to this year with JCBS, the only peer-reviewed journal dedicated to contextual behavioral science. ACBS members can read it for free in the JCBS member portal.

ACBS World Conference 17: Dublin, Ireland 25-30 June, 2019

World Conference 17 Scholarships are now open: - Developing Nations Conference Scholars - Deadline is February 1, 2019. - Diversity Conference Scholars - Deadline is February 1, 2019. - Student Conference Scholars - Deadline is February 15, 2019.