ACT BootCamp® – Bay Area

Learn the basics of the model and establish a foundational understanding of relational frame theory (RFT—the theory of language that underlies ACT), functional contextualism (the philosophy of science that underlies ACT), and how psychological inflexibility is at the heart of human suffering. Enhancing psychological flexibility has been shown in hundreds of studies to improve therapeutic outcomes across many different conditions and in many different areas of human endeavor. By the end of the day you will have a basic set of skills in the psychological flexibility model and in the six core processes of ACT—flexible contact with the present moment, cognitive delusion, acceptance, self-as-context, values, and committed action.

General Session | 6.5 CE Hours:

7:00 am – 8:00 am: Check-in*

8:00 am – 9:45 am: Language and Psychological Flexibility

9:45 am – 10:00 am: Morning Break*

10:00 am – 12:00 pm: ACT Therapeutic Agreement and Case Conceptualization

12:00 pm – 1:30 pm: Lunch Break*

1:30 pm – 2:45 pm: Creative Hopelessness in Motivation and Change Over Time

2:45 pm – 3:00 pm: Afternoon Break*

3:00 pm – 4:30 pm: Integrating the ACT Core Processes

4:30 pm – 4:45 pm: Afternoon Break (for those staying for optional evening discussion)*

Optional Evening Session | 2 CE Hours:

4:45 pm – 6:45 pm: Optional Evening Mini-Workshops and Discussion: Role Play Demonstration: Flexible Implementation of ACT Pt. 1 | Robyn Walser

Use the skills you learned on day 1 in a practical way so you can integrate ACT into your practice more effectively when you go back to a therapy setting. Robyn will guide you through experiential exercises as well as give you key takeaways you can use to enhance your practice and your life.

General Session | 6.5 CE Hours:

7:30 am – 8:00 am: Check-in*

8:00 am – 9:45 am: Integrating the ACT Core Processes Continued

9:45 am – 10:00 am: Morning Break*

10:00 am – 12:00 pm: Essential Characteristics of the Therapeutic Relationship from an ACT Point of View

12:00 pm – 1:30 am: Lunch Break*

1:30 am – 2:45 pm: The ACT Therapeutic Stance

2:45 pm – 3:00 pm: Afternoon Break*

3:00 pm – 4:30 pm: The ACT Therapeutic Relationship: Competencies and Processes

4:30 pm – 4:45 pm: Afternoon Break (for those staying for the optional evening discussion)*

Optional Evening Session | 2 CE Hours:

4:45 pm – 6:45 pm: Optional Evening Mini-Workshops and Discussion: Role Play Demonstration: Flexible Implementation of ACT Pt. 2 | Robyn Walser & Kelly Wilson

ACT is not a one-way street. Integrating the practice in your own life, modeling it in session with clients, and actively using the model has been shown to enhance the therapeutic relationship and increase therapeutic effectiveness. ACT Will come alive for you as you apply it to your own life in this moving and introspective training.

General Session | 6.5 CE Hours:

7:30 am – 8:00 am: Check-in*

8:00 am – 9:45 am: Suffering and Common Humanity

9:45 am – 10:00 am: Morning Break*

10:00 am – 12:00 pm: Word Prisons: Making Contact with what Obstructs Connection/Finding Connection in the Midst of Suffering

12:00 pm – 1:30 pm: Lunch Break*

1:30 pm – 2:45 pm: Values and Vulnerability at the Heart of Relationships

2:45 pm – 3:00 pm: Afternoon Break*

3:00 pm – 4:30 pm: Values, Commitment, and Deepening Relationships

4:30 pm – 4:45 pm: Afternoon Break (for those staying for optional evening discussions)*

Optional Evening Session | 2 CE Hours:

4:45 pm – 6:45 pm: Optional Evening Mini-Workshops and Discussion: Role Play Demonstration: Flexible Implementation of ACT Pt. 3 | Kelly Wilson & Steven Hayes

Now that you know the basics of the model, you are going to go deeper. This day will be highly experiential with round after round of clinical skills building exercises and feedback. It is designed to help enhance your fluidity with using the model and provide you a deeper understanding of ACT as well as specific tools and techniques you can use in your practice to enhance clinical outcomes.

General Session | 6.5 CE Hours:

7:30 am – 8:00 am: Check-in*

8:00 am – 9:45 am: From It, Toward It, and Within It: The Therapeutic Relationship in ACT

9:45 am – 10:00 am: Morning Break*

10:00 am – 12:00 pm: Reading the Flexibility Processes

12:00 pm – 1:30 pm: Lunch Break*

1:30 pm – 2:45 pm: Opening the Door to Any Flexibility Process

2:45 pm – 3:00 pm: Afternoon Break*

3:00 pm – 4:30 pm: ACT Done Dynamically

No evening session on last night.

*Not available for CE

• Describe the language based processes (e.g. RFT) that create suffering.
• Describe the six processes that underlie psychological flexibility/inflexibility
• Demonstrate the ability to formulate an ACT consistent therapeutic agreement
• Describe how to use the 6 core processes in case conceptualization
• Explain how to use “creative hopelessness” to motivate a change in the control agenda
• Demonstrate the process of creative hopelessness and how it functions across time
• Describe and demonstrate how acceptance and defusion work together in supporting openness to experience

References:

• Luoma, J., Hayes, S. C., & Walser, R. D. (2007). Learning Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: A Skills Training Manual for Therapists. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.
• Walser, R. D. (2013). Love and the human condition. In T.B. Kashdan & J. Ciarrochi (Eds.) Mindfulness, acceptance, and positive psychology: The seven foundations of well-being. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.
• Walser, R. D. (2009). The Mindful Couple. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications

• Describe the state of ACT as an evidence-based treatment
• Describe and demonstrate use of perspective taking and its relationship to creating flexibility
• Describe and demonstrate how committed action and values clarification work together in creating meaning and behavioral goals
• Explain how ACT can address multiple clinical issues and presenting problems
• Define the essential characteristics of the therapeutic relationship from an ACT point of view including intrapersonal and interpersonal processes
• Describe the ACT therapeutic stance
• Describe and demonstrate the ACT therapeutic relationship and its core competencies

References:

• Luoma, J., Hayes, S. C., & Walser, R. D. (2007). Learning Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: A Skills Training Manual for Therapists. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.
• Walser, R. D. (2013). Love and the human condition. In T.B. Kashdan & J. Ciarrochi (Eds.) Mindfulness, acceptance, and positive psychology: The seven foundations of well-being. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.
• Walser, R. D. (2009). The Mindful Couple. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications

• Describe the role of acceptance and mindfulness processes in mindful interviewing.
• Describe the role of values and committed action processes in mindful interviewing.
• Facilitate mindful interviewing with values content.
• Facilitate mindful interviewing with painful content.
• Describe the role of perspective taking in the mindful interview.
• Use shifts in perspective taking to facilitate mindful engagement in values work.
• Use shifts in perspective taking to facilitate self-compassion in the face of suffering.

References:

• Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K., & Wilson, K. G. (2012). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: The process and practice of mindful change (2nd edition). New York: Guilford Press.
• Wilson, K., & DuFrene, T. (2009). Mindfulness for Two. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.
• Wilson, K. & DuFrene, T. (2010). Things might go terribly, horribly wrong. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.

• Describe how psychological flexibility processes apply to the therapeutic relationship
• Describe the three overall and essential functions of the ACT clinician regarding psychological flexibility in the therapy session
• Describe at least one way of reading each flexibility process as it shows up in session
• Demonstrate the ability to detect flexibility relevant material in session
• Describe at least one generally useful method of opening the door to each of the flexibility processes in session
• Demonstrate the ability to shift the focus to any flexibility target
• Demonstrate the ability to respond to any client statement from any flexibility process

References:

• Luoma, J., Hayes, S. C., & Walser, R. (2017). Learning ACT (2nd edition). Oakland, CA: New Harbinger.
• Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K., & Wilson, K. G. (2012). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: The process and practice of mindful change (2nd edition). New York: Guilford Press.
• Hayes, S. C., & Lillis, J. (2012) Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Washington, DC: American Psychology Association.

• Identify ways to use core psychological flexibility processes to focus on interpersonal connection and being bold in therapy
• Identify ways to use core psychological flexibility processes to foster creative hopelessness
• Demonstrate the flexible use of multiple core processes in a single episode of contact with a client

References:

• Luoma, J., Hayes, S.C., & Walser, R. (2017). Learning ACT (2nd Ed.). Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications
• Harris, R. (2013). Getting unstuck in ACT: A Clinicians guide to overcoming common obstacles in acceptance and commitment therapy. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.
• Westrup, D., & Wright, M.J. (2017). Learning ACT for group treatment: An acceptance and commitment therapy skills training manual for therapists. Oakland, CA: Context Press

• Identify ways to use core psychological flexibility processes with challenging or stuck clients
• Identify ways to use core psychological flexibility processes to focus on qualities of the interpersonal relationship
• Explain how integrating ACT into your practice can positively impact your work with clients

References:

• Harris, R. (2009). ACT made simple: An easy-to-read primer on acceptance and commitment therapy. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications
• Wilson, K.G., & DuFrene, T. (2009). Mindfulness for two: An acceptance and commitment therapy approach to mindfulness in psychotherapy. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications
• Torneke, N. (2017). Metaphor in Practice: A professional guide to using the science of language in psychotherapy. Oakland, CA: Context Press

• Identify ways to use multiple processes as part of a case conceptualization based on psychological flexibility
• Identify ways to shift among core psychological flexibility processes quickly, flexibly, and effectively
• Demonstrate the flexible use of selected core processes as individual processes

References:

• Harris, R. (2009). ACT questions and answers: A practitioners guide to 150 common sticking points in acceptance and commitment therapy. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications
• Hayes, S.C., & Smith, S. (2005). Get out of your mind & into your life: The new acceptance and commitment therapy. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications
• Stoddard, J.A., & Afari, N. (2014). The big book of ACT metaphors: A practitioners guide to experiential exercises and metaphors in acceptance and commitment therapy. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications