Putting the Context Back in Contextual Behavioral Science: Applying RFT to Rules, Self, and Values
Tuesday, 25 July 2023 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.
Do you or the people you work with ever struggle to find a stable sense of self or self-awareness?
Do you or the people you work with ever feel aimless, crave purpose, or find it difficult to prioritize competing values?
‘Putting the Context Back in Contextual Behavioral Science’ (CBS) aims to work through the relational frame theory (RFT) approach to rules, the self, and values, addressing common misconceptions and barriers professionals may face when working with these areas in applied and research contexts. First, we will tackle the issue of rule-based insensitivity, addressing questions such as: Do rules make us insensitive or less sensitive to shifting contingencies? Is “rigid rule-following” merely repetitive or routine behaviors? What determines whether rule-following is rigid? Is people-pleasing always rigid? We will then explore how metaphor might be a useful tool to increase flexible, context-sensitive rule-following. We will further identify ways to help people clarify their values, means of assessing values clarity, and strategies to conceptualize and honor competing values. We will also discuss whether “away moves” (i.e., actions that bring us further away from who and where we want to be) are ever helpful. Next we will move onto the most important relationship any individual has, the relationship they have with themselves. We will address important misconceptions around the utility of identity labels from a CBS perspective, the links between selfing, rules, and values, and ways to foster a flexible sense of self while also respecting and appreciating your unique identity and learning history. Through experiential exercises, we will bring “functional coherence” to the fore; in simple terms, recognizing that labels are useful insofar as they work for us. We will also contact self-as-context, the stable perspective from which we can observe all self-relevant processes.
Louise McHugh is a Professor of Psychology at University College Dublin. She is a world leading expert in Contextual Behavioural Science (CBS), Relational Frame Theory (RFT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). She has published over 100 papers and two books in the area. Prof. McHugh is the Director of the University College Dublin CBS lab and a peer reviewed ACT Trainer. She has been a Fellow of ACBS since 2014 and is the president elect for the UK and ROI ACBS Chapter.
About Alison Stapleton, Ph.D.:
Alison Stapleton is a Researcher at Smithsfield Clinic and Lecturer in Psychology at Maynooth University and Dublin Business School, Ireland. She collaborates on a multitude of psychological research projects and regularly delivers trainings both nationally and internationally. Alison is a member of the Editorial Board for the Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, serves on the Steering Committee for the ACBS relational frame theory special interest group, and currently works at ACT Now Purposeful Living, a leading provider of ACT training in Ireland. Alison’s doctoral dissertation focused on selfing and rule-governed behavior in accordance with relational frame theory (RFT); part of which involved developing and testing procedures designed to reduce problematic rule-following. Alison has published 12 peer-reviewed articles and co-authored two book chapters on these topics, having recently contributed to The Oxford Handbook of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Alison is known for her ability to cut through jargon and make RFT accessible, a practice she believes is imperative if RFT is to continue to make meaningful impact.
Following this workshop participants will be able to:
- Summarize recent developments in CBS in the areas of rules, the self, and values.
- Demonstrate an understanding of functional contextualism, the philosophy of science said to underpin ACT and RFT.
- Outline common misconceptions in the areas of rules, the self, and values (e.g., that rigidity refers to repetitive behaviors).
- Address how to resolve common misconceptions in the areas of rules, the self, and values.
- Conduct collaborative functional analysis of challenges that may arise in the areas of rule-following, the self, and values alongside the people you work with.
- Design RFT-consistent exercises for rules, the self, and values that are tailored to the people you work with.
- Adapt existing interventions by adding RFT-consistent kernels/amending interventions so they are consistent with RFT.
- Apply and experiment with RFT-consistent interventions targeting rigid rule-following, the self, and values.
- Utilize single-case and idiographic approaches to individualize treatment and examine intervention effectiveness.
- Utilize cutting-edge research to enhance practice.
Target Audience: Intermediate, Advanced, Clinical, Research
Components: Conceptual analysis, Original data, Experiential exercises, Role play
Package Includes: A general certificate of attendance