ACBS emerged out of the growing interest in ACT and RFT, especially in the form of the list serves (which began in 2003), the World Conference in Sweden in 2003, the ACT Summer Institutes in Reno (2004), and Philadelphia (2005). We began to realize that we were becoming a defacto organization with what essentially were members and meetings, and we realized that a formal organization was needed to deal with the financial and organizational realities of this activity. The actual spark that led to the list serves and the first World Conference were the events of September 11, 2001. Steve Hayes tells that story here.
In August 2005 a planning committee was formed to guide the establishment of the association. The primary duties of the committee were to construct and approve the bylaws, decide upon the official name of the association, and determine the policies and procedures of this website. Members of the committee were:
- Dermot Barnes-Holmes, National University of Ireland, Maynooth (Ireland)
- Yvonne Barnes-Holmes, National University of Ireland, Maynooth (Ireland)
- Sonja V. Batten, VA Maryland Health Care System and University of Maryland School of Medicine (US)
- Anthony Biglan, Oregon Research Institute (US)
- Frank W. Bond, Goldsmiths College, University of London (UK)
- Joseph Ciarrochi, University of Wollongong (Australia)
- JoAnne Dahl, University of Uppsala (Sweden)
- Eric J. Fox, Western Michigan University (US)
- Steven C. Hayes, University of Nevada (US)
- Carmen Luciano, University of Almeria (Spain)
- Ian Stewart, National University of Ireland, Galway (Ireland)
- Kirk Strosahl, Mountainview Consulting Group (US)
- Niklas Törneke, psychiatrist in private practice (Sweden)
- Robyn D. Walser, National Center for PTSD, VA Palo Alto Health Care System (US)
- Kelly G. Wilson, University of Mississippi (US)
The by-laws and name were repeatedly shared with the ACT and RFT list serves and then formally approved by the planning committee. Finally, membership was opened up in October 2005. In April of 2006 an election was held, leading to the first ABCS Board, which will hold in inaugural meeting at the Second World Conference in London in July 2006.
Visit the Board of Directors page to follow the organizational structure of the board from 2006 to present.