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