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Book now: https://contextualconsulting.co.uk/live-training/act-for-physical-health-problems-2027/
Working with clients facing physical health challenges often brings unique complexities. While acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) offers a powerful framework for improving well-being and fostering meaningful action, applying it in nuanced, adaptive ways can make all the difference for those who feel stuck. This workshop goes beyond the basics, equipping you with advanced ACT skills to help your clients navigate the profound psychological impact of health-related changes, break unhelpful patterns, and reconnect with their values and sense of self.
Background to the workshop
Physical health issues often come with more than just bodily symptoms—they can deeply impact identity, self-worth, and the ability to engage in life. Many clients struggle with a sense of loss, clinging to past versions of themselves or feeling trapped by unhelpful behaviours that perpetuate suffering. While ACT offers powerful tools like acceptance, defusion, and values-based action, some clients may resist these processes, leaving practitioners feeling stuck. Advanced skills are essential to help clients engage with these tools and foster meaningful change, even in the face of resistance.
What you will gain from this workshop
By attending this workshop, you will deepen your understanding of ACT and gain practical, advanced tools to address the challenges faced by clients with physical health issues. Specifically, you will learn:
- How to work with a disrupted sense of self and use self-as-context techniques to rebuild identity after health-related changes
- Ways to address the emotions tied to loss of identity and foster acceptance and self-compassion
- Techniques to identify and shift unhelpful rule-governed behaviours, helping clients develop more adaptive approaches to their health challenges
- The use of moment-by-moment functional analysis to move beyond content and address psychological stuckness
- Perspective-taking exercises to enhance self-compassion and improve emotional resilience
- Approaches to working with trauma and moral injury in physical health settings from an ACT perspective
By the end of this workshop, you’ll feel more confident and equipped to work with the complex psychological dynamics often present in clients with physical health problems, ultimately enabling them to lead richer, more values-driven lives.
About this workshop
This interactive workshop, led by Dr Ray Owen, a leading expert in ACT for health, combines mini-lectures, video demonstrations, and experiential exercises to bring the concepts to life. Participants will engage in role-plays and practice advanced techniques in a supportive environment, ensuring they leave with practical skills they can immediately apply in their practice. The experiential nature of the workshop will also give attendees the opportunity to reflect on their own experiences, deepening their understanding of ACT processes.
Who will benefit from this workshop?
This workshop is ideal for practitioners working in health settings who already have a solid foundation in ACT and experience applying it with clients facing physical health challenges. It is an intermediate-level workshop designed for those who are familiar with the core ACT model (values, defusion, acceptance, mindfulness) and are ready to take their skills to the next level.
Please note: This workshop includes experiential exercises that may involve connecting with challenging thoughts and emotions. Participants should consider their readiness to engage in this type of work.
If you are new to ACT in health contexts, we recommend attending our introductory workshop, ACT for physical health problems: an introductory skills workshop with Dr Ray Owen, to build a foundational understanding before joining this advanced training.
What past participants say
“Wonderful trainer – such valuable and useful training material, extremely pertinent to my work on both a Cancer and Gynaecology department. The training has further deepened my understanding and confidence in the use of ACT in health settings.”
-Robyn Jury, Clinical Psychologist