Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: Introduction & Skills Building - CLOSED

This introductory ACT workshop will use a novel ‘flipped classroom approach’. In a flipped classroom, learners are given access to pre-recorded materials to work through at their own pace in advance of the workshop. This way, we will be able to deliver a good deal of conceptual learning (The HEAD of ACT), you will be able to watch videos of simulated therapy (The HANDS of ACT) and be able to arrive at the live workshop already knowing quite a lot about ACT. The online live workshop time is therefore able to be used to interact around the materials, practice experientially (The HEART of ACT) and deepen your learning. In total the pre-recorded elements will amount to approximately 10 hours of self-directed study, using pre-recorded presentations and videos.

LEARNERS MUST COMMIT TO ENGAGING IN THIS FREE MATERIAL AS A CONDITION OF ATTENDING THE LIVE WORKSHOP.

Pre-Workshop Learning

Participants will be guided through the ACT foundational hexaflex, learning about each of the six core processes. You will also learn about the application of each of these core processes through case conceptualization. You will be able to watch videos of therapy with simulated patients. The trainers will provide examples of specific exercises and metaphors, helping you to understand the importance of the function, rather than the form, of ACT interventions. We will set up an email group to allow you to ask questions of the material and get answers prior to the workshop. This material will be made available well in advance of the workshop, allowing you time to go through it at your own pace.

Live Online Workshop

During the workshop, we will use experiential exercises, discussion, and role plays to deepen your understanding of the processes, and give you chances to begin using ACT principles to apply to your own work.

The two peer-reviewed ACT trainers, David Gillanders and Sonja Batten, are fully-versed in ACT and are Fellows and Founding Members of ACBS, with extensive experience delivering ACT training internationally. Their open and compassionate style models the ACT therapeutic stance, while demonstrating skills and responding to participant questions based on research-informed knowledge.

About David Gillanders, DClinPsy: 

David Gillanders is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist, member of the British Psychological Society, Health & Care Professions Council, British Association of Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapy and a founding member of the Association for Contextual Behavioural Science. He is the Head of Clinical and Health Psychology at the University of Edinburgh. Formerly working for the NHS, he has extensive experience of working psychologically with people with both chronic physical and mental health problems from both an ACT and traditional CBT perspective. David has trained several hundred therapists in using an ACT approach across the globe and also supervises others using an ACT approach. He is a peer reviewed ACT trainer with ACBS, and the former ACBS Training Committee Chair, responsible for developing the current strategy to showing evidence of training competency and undertaking research in the area of ACT training

About Sonja V. Batten, Ph.D.:

Sonja V. Batten, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist with a specialization in traumatic stress, who has worked in policy, clinical, and research leadership positions in the public and private sector. Dr. Batten is a recognized ACT trainer, a Past-President of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science, the author of Essentials of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and the co-author of Committed Action in Practice. Dr. Batten is an experienced leader with a demonstrated history of working in the management consulting industry; skilled in Organizational Development, Health Care Operations, Leadership Development, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, certified Change Management Practitioner, and experienced Coach and Mentor.