Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a newer cognitive behavioral treatment that emphasizes increasing psychological flexibility—taking action towards what is important to us even when in contact with uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations—as a target of treatment. The ACT model is consistent with newer research on exposure therapy that has found that symptom reduction is not a strong predictor of treatment outcome (Craske et al., 2014) and ACT-informed exposure appears effective in the treatment of anxiety and obsessive-compulsive and related disorders (Arch et al., 2012; Twohig et al., 2018). However, an ACT approach to exposure can feel counter-intuitive for clients and therapists. Therapists trained in traditional exposure focused on habituation may struggle with the shift in language from a focus on symptom reduction towards ACT concepts such as acceptance and values. ACT therapists new to implementing exposure therapy may struggle with rigidity in applying ACT principles in exposure interventions.
Based on the presenters’ recently published book, ACT-Informed Exposure for Anxiety: Creating, Effective, Innovative, Values-Based Exposures Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (Thompson, Pilecki, & Chan, 2023, this workshop will offer a brief introduction to ACT-informed exposure and focus on practical ways to address common problems in implementation. Case examples will be provided to illustrate common client barriers such as lack of buy-in and difficulty grasping core ACT concepts. Strategies for overcoming these barriers will be offered and participants will have the opportunity to practice newly acquired skills through role-plays and break-out rooms. The presenters will offer tips for orienting clients to ACT-informed exposure.
Register here! https://www.portlandpsychotherapytraining.com/3-8-2024-overcoming-barriers-exposure-therapy-bacs-y