It’s that time of year again. As 2017 races toward its close, therapists and coaches are taking time to think about how they can best serve their clients in 2018. For many of us, this includes engaging in advanced trainings, continued education and/or certification programs. Post-graduates may be in need of supervision hours as they work toward licensure, and seasoned, licensed therapists are often looking for consultation on their practice or a certain client and/or new tools, approaches and modalities that can better inform their practice.
Anyone who knows me knows that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy/Training (ACT) is a modality that I’m passionate about, well known for and is my go-to approach for working with both therapy and coaching clients, as well as a way to live my life. As someone who highly values science and empirical research, I love that ACT is evidence-based and highly effective in helping clients mindfully connect to their values and take actionable steps to reach goals that are in alignment with what is most important and meaningful to them. ACT also helps people develop self-compassion, which I truly feel we can all benefit from in order to live fulfilling and purposeful lives. Also, unlike other modalities that require costly and time consuming levels of certifications, founder of ACT, Steven Hayes, believed and still believes that any form of science or therapy that helps people should be available to all people. Insomuch, any therapist or coach who attends a workshop, training or even reads an ACT-based book can draw from the modality and call him or herself an ACT informed therapist. And, those who want additional support in the modality can request that the ACT board review their skills and become a peer-reviewed ACT therapist and trainer.
Because ACT is a living, breathing and adaptable modality that evolves and changes just as our clients do, it was also important to Hayes that the approach didn’t become ossified. As people change, the modality adapts with them. As clients gain more personal knowledge, compassion and self-acceptance, ACT allows for therapists and coaches to continually customize and style the approach to best address and support a client’s individuality, values, personality, needs and ongoing therapy goals. The agile, intrinsic quality of ACT makes it psychologically flexible rather than manualized and stagnant.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Training
If you are a post-graduate looking for additional supervision hours, a licensed therapist looking for ACT consultation/conceptualization or a therapist or coach interested in learning and practicing this modality to better support your clients, ACT therapy training can help you enhance your therapy and/or coaching skills. A couple of times a year, I offer an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy workshop or a supervision and consultation group to a small group of therapists and coaches seeking to expand their skill set. I draw from ACT in these sessions to teach ACT so you can see firsthand the value and efficacy of the model. Given that ACT is an orientation based in a functional contextualism philosophy and relational frame theory (RFT), rather than a set of specific techniques, I’ll also discuss RFT as well as the science that supports ACT so you have a solid understanding of the modality and how to apply it. And, because working with a style that is psychologically flexible can be more challenging (and also effective and rewarding) than more structured types of therapy, there is beauty in being able to learn it and practice skills in group supervision/consultation sessions. Sessions are often experimental and give you an opportunity to experience and practice ACT in ways that support and can ultimately expand your practice. Since ACT is a flexible modality it can be used in conjunction with other modalities.
The 2018 Winter/Spring Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Training for Supervision and Consultation
All are welcome regardless of the modality lens you see/work though. Supervision is post-grad licensure and consultation can go toward CEU for license renewal with DORA.
Group sessions will be held on the second and forth Wednesday of each month from 9:30am-11:30am beginning in February. A three-month commitment is required. The cost is $60 per session for a total of $360 for the entire Acceptance and Commitment Therapy workshop. If paid in full, you will receive a 10 percent discount. Installments are available. Call for details.
This work is best done in a small, intimate group setting and is limited to five participants.
PS: I will consider alternate times if the above times do not fit your schedule. If interested, please call me at 720-260-7702.
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