5-DAY IN-PERSON TRAINING
FACT Summer Intensive
An immersive, retreat-style training in focused acceptance and commitment therapy
Gain new skills and make meaningful connections
Join a small group of like-minded professionals for hands-on learning and supervision in focused acceptance and commitment therapy (FACT). Get personalized feedback, build fluency in the model, and form lasting connections.
September 9–13, 2024
Tacoma, Washington
Led by Kirk Strosahl, PhD, Patti Robinson, PhD, and Thomas Gustavsson, MSC
Up to 30 CE hours included with registration
Register Now
Sign up before June 1 and save $100!
Groups of 3+ who register and pay together receive a 10% discount. Use code GROUP10
Limited scholarships available. Contact info@praxiscet.com for more info.
Increase your efficacy and impact when time with clients is limited
Build your mastery in FACT at a supportive, hands-on training in the Pacific Northwest
Every helping professional wishes they could be more effective in their limited time with clients.
After all, helping someone beat addiction or learn to manage a serious medical condition or overcome anxiety is significant work.
When you have less than an hour (even 20 or 30 minutes) with clients or go several weeks between visits, it’s hard to feel you have enough time to facilitate that kind of change.
This is not to mention the many clients who only come in once or twice before they fall off your radar and never book another session.
Yet, most clinicians know firsthand that big transformations can happen in very little time — even in the space of a single session.
What’s more, you can make those shifts much more likely when you’re working with the right tools.
Distilling the Wisdom of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), the primary model FACT is based on, is an ideal way to deliver brief intervention for a few reasons:
As a process-based therapy, ACT is not focused on syndromes and protocols. Instead, it centers on strengthening the underlying psychological processes that drive flexible forms of coping.
This means it helps you get straight to the root of the issue. Clinicians can uncover areas of psychological inflexibility that drive particular clients’ struggles and apply more targeted interventions to create immediate and significant improvements.
It also means you don’t need a full 10-session sequence to see real change happen! If you target the processes effectively, it can happen much more quickly than that.
All of this makes ACT a flexible approach that’s ideal for brief, individualized treatment.
However, because it lacks protocols, ACT is also an expansive model that can feel unstructured to a lot of clinicians — especially when time with clients is limited.
That’s where focused acceptance and commitment therapy comes in.
The Power of FACT
If you’re already familiar with FACT, you know that it concentrates — or focuses — the most impactful parts of the ACT model. It streamlines the concepts for ease of use while leaving the flexibility clinicians love.
This allows you to:
1. Use change-oriented strategies in the first session
The goal of all therapy is change, but without a plan for quickly discovering what will make the most impact, clinicians can spend multiple sessions just trying to get traction in a case. The FACT session is designed to help you quickly identify impact areas and formulate homework within as little as 15 minutes.
2. Harness the power of small steps
Focusing on one specific challenge can make things achievable for clients who face multiple issues or simply feel overwhelmed by the idea of change, as so many do. Very often, small changes build confidence, momentum, and flexibility, leading to bigger transformations.
3. Be more present and connected
Rather than creating the flow of each session from scratch, FACT provides a flexible structure for getting to the heart of the matter. This won’t eliminate creativity or personalization, but it will give you a solid framework so you can be more in the moment and connected.
Beyond Better Client Outcomes…
The FACT approach works with a wide range of problems related to both physical and mental health and across settings from private practice to primary care.
In addition, it can not only support better outcomes for clients in a short period of time, but can also help boost resilience for helping professionals.
By offering tools to efficiently structure sessions, minimize guesswork, and often get better results with clients, the model can help increase job satisfaction and alleviate burnout.
And because FACT’s simplicity makes it highly teachable and scalable, many practitioners introduce it to their teams or dedicate time to teaching it to other health professionals to expand positive, large-scale impact.
The Road to FACT Mastery
Though FACT is a straightforward method, the jump from purely didactic learning to practical application can be a challenge — as it is when learning any therapeutic approach.
Clinicians sometimes struggle when a client’s case doesn’t match examples they’ve seen in training. Or, without the opportunity to shake out nerves and troubleshoot issues through practice, they revert to more familiar methods.
It’s understandable to want to avoid using precious time with clients to fumble through something new.
At the same time, it can be hard to find training that is in-depth and practical enough to gain real fluency.
Still, it remains true that immersive, supervised practice is the best way to fluidly integrate the FACT model into your work.
And that is precisely the focus of this unique, 5-day learning experience.
The FACT Summer Intensive is designed to be practical and integrative, with a small group size to allow for deeper discussion, personalized coaching from the trainers, and an intimate community environment that makes practice fun.
This training will help a wide variety of professionals use the FACT model to more effectively drive change in a short time.
Because it emphasizes hands-on practice, it’s best to come in with at least some exposure to the FACT model, whether gained through books or a standard workshop.
But, whether you’re new to FACT or have practiced it for years, you will leave with a more immediate understanding of the model and how to use it fluently to do transformative work.
Along the way, you’ll enjoy being part of a tight-knit training community where you can grow personally as well as professionally, connect with like-minded colleagues, and bring your full self to the experience.
About the FACT
Summer Intensive
Join a small community of peers for 5 days of supervised, hands-on learning to hone your skill in using focused acceptance and commitment therapy (FACT) to spark lasting change in less time.
Taking place on the scenic shores of Puget Sound, this retreat-style training offers a chance to step away from the usual and fully immerse yourself in a powerful therapeutic model alongside world-class ACT experts and a small group of like-minded professionals.
Be Part of a Fun, Supportive Training Community
At the training, you’ll be instructed and supervised by FACT co-founders, Drs. Kirk Strosahl and Patti Robinson, and Thomas Gustavsson. Spots at the event are limited to create an intimate community environment where you can get personalized feedback and form meaningful connections with trainers and fellow attendees alike. You’ll come away rejuvenated both personally and professionally and feeling more part of the ACT community than ever before.
Build Fluency Quickly Through Active Learning
Unlike many workshops, didactic instruction will be limited and targeted, setting the stage for more hands-on work. Ample time is dedicated to discussing cases and practicing under immediate supervision so you can build skills more quickly and truly integrate what you learn.
As part of your enrollment package, you’ll also have the opportunity to enjoy restorative yoga classes each day and engage in additional group discussions with the trainers.
At the end of the 5 days, you’ll feel refreshed, connected, and confident in your ability to leverage FACT to promote meaningful change more quickly in your work.
Register now to secure your spot
Here’s what’s included:
- 5 days of supervised hands-on training in a supportive, small-group setting
- One-on-one feedback from master FACT trainers
- Various learning “tracks” for a personalized training experience
- Daily continental breakfast featuring locally sourced ingredients
- Coffee and tea during all training sessions
- Beginner-friendly yoga classes in the mornings and evenings
- Access to nearby walking trails, dining options, and beaches
- Up to 30 CE hours
- Bonus! FACT Basics Chapters
Sign up before June 1 and save $100!
Groups of 3+ who register and pay together receive a 10% discount. Use code GROUP10
Daily Schedule
What will your 5 days at the FACT Summer Intensive be like? Here’s a rundown of the schedule each day.
(Optional)
8:00–8:30 a.m.
Gentle morning yoga flow with Dr. Robinson, a certified yoga instructor
8:30–9:00 a.m.
Continental breakfast provided
9:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
Morning training session — includes didactics, demonstrations, practice, and supervision as well as a short break
12:15–1:15 p.m.
Lunch break
1:15–4:30 p.m.
Afternoon training session — includes didactics, demonstrations, practice, and supervision as well as a short break
(Optional)
5:00–5:45 p.m.
Restorative yoga OR additional FACT discussion based on the day’s learning (on the final day, this time is reserved for “graduation” and farewells)
Workshop Content
Training sessions cover the use of FACT to treat a variety of populations and concerns. At times, multiple learning “tracks” are offered so you can choose your training journey and enjoy even smaller group settings.
Sessions will use a blend of training formats, including didactic instruction as well as demonstration, experientials, paired role play practice, and large group exercises.
DAY 1
a.m.
The FACT Pillars of Psychological Flexibility
Examine FACT’s mission of promoting openness to experience, awareness in the present moment, and engagement in life through one’s values — as well as what gets in the way of these processes.
p.m.
Interviewing and Case Conceptualization
Review and practice “on the fly” FACT case conceptualization methods. Explore the CARE framework for leading change-oriented interviews that identify the main problem, make it solvable, and promote behavioral variability.
DAY 2
a.m. (Choose 1)
Chronic Pain
Discover a 4-session FACT approach and a variety of tools that can help alleviate suffering for those experiencing chronic pain.
Anxiety and Depression
Explore the role of avoidance in depressive and anxiety experiences as well as how to shift clients into a more adaptive, values-driven stance toward life.
p.m. (Choose 1)
Crisis Integration
Learn a set of interventions for shifting a client’s perspective on situations that might otherwise create crisis-level emotions in everyday life, helping them successfully integrate those experiences and learn values-based coping strategies.
Self-Harming Behavior
Take a FACT perspective on non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), learning to conceptualize and treat the most serious forms of this behavior by fostering self-compassion and distance from hostile self-oriented thoughts and emotions.
DAY 3
a.m. (Choose 1)
Primary Care Applications
Gain an innovative integration model for delivering FACT in 20–25-minute initial visits in primary care or general practice settings to support quality of life improvements, high patient satisfaction, and health equity.
Psychiatric and Specialty Mental Health Settings
Explore a framework for treating clients in residential, day treatment, or long-term care programs who experience numerous impairments, health morbidities, housing and food insecurities, and limited social support.
p.m. (Choose 1)
Suicidality
Analyze and assess suicidality from a functional perspective and learn a straightforward protocol designed to defuse suicidal crises and promote values-based problem-solving in response.
Teaching FACT to Health Workers
Discover strategies and supervision practices for teaching core FACT skills to health workers who have no previous mental health training to ultimately extend the reach of effective, evidence-based treatments.
DAY 4
a.m. (Choose 1)
Life Path Intervention for Groups
Learn The Life Path Class protocol for FACT-oriented group meetings as well as tips for determining group composition, meeting frequency, and other elements for effective group work.
Addictive Behaviors
Gain a deeper understanding of addiction and practice FACT-consistent dialogues and intervention strategies to help clients break free from the unworkable use of drugs, alcohol, food, social media, and anything else frequently used to avoid inner experience.
p.m. (Choose 1)
Trauma
Use core FACT interventions to help clients relate to the vestiges of trauma in such a way that they no longer function as barriers to values-based living.
Present-Moment Power Moves
Undermine the influence of automatic rule following by using the Five Facet Model of Mindfulness to cultivate present-moment awareness and life-changing emotional processing experiences.
DAY 5
a.m. (Choose 1)
Challenging Moments in Therapy
Prevent therapeutic impasses by taking a functional contextual approach to difficult interactions and examining your own “hot buttons” that might otherwise conflict or trigger judgmental thinking.
FACT With Children and Teens
Learn to use the model with children, youth, and their families, including tools for assessing and promoting psychological flexibility among everyone involved to support well-being.
p.m.
Understanding and Preventing Burnout
Explore The Life Path Manual’s practical, structured approach for helping healthcare workers build psychological flexibility and resilience so they can more successfully navigate stressful work conditions.
Bonus! FACT Basics Chapters
Before the workshop, you’ll receive three chapters from the book Behavior Change in Primary Care (Robinson, 2020) reviewing the basics of focused acceptance and commitment therapy goals, assessment, and intervention.
Whether you work in primary care or another setting — and whether you’re newer to FACT or want a quick refresher — this bundle will help you hit the ground running and truly make the most of your training experience.
Meet Your Trainers
Kirk Strosahl, PhD
Dr. Strosahl co-founded ACT alongside Steven C. Hayes and Kelly G. Wilson and created the FACT model with his wife, Dr. Patti Robinson. He has authored several influential books for professionals, including Brief Interventions for Radical Change and Inside This Moment: A Clinician’s Guide to Promoting Radical Change Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, as well as best-selling self-help books such as The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Depression. Dr. Strosahl has conducted ACT and FACT training workshops all around the world. Because his approach to teaching is so accessible and practical, he has been referred to as the “hands of ACT.”
Patti Robinson, PhD
Dr. Robinson co-founded FACT and the Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) model and has authored over 60 publications, including Basics of Behavior Change in Primary Care and Brief Interventions for Radical Change. She is president of Mountainview Consulting Group, through which she has supervised mental health practitioners and healthcare professionals all over the world. She has been instrumental in the dissemination of FACT in healthcare systems internationally, such as in Sweden and New Zealand.
Thomas Gustavsson, MSC
Thomas Gustavsson is a clinical psychologist and the author of three books on ACT and behavioral therapy. He has helped build several companies in the realm of healthcare and psychology, including a psychiatric open-care unit in Helsingborg, Sweden, that serves over 60,000 people, three treatment centers for young women with PTSD and self-harming behaviors, and the company that arranged the first world conference for the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS) in Linkoping in 2003. Gustavsson offers clinical consulting in the areas of suicide, high-risk clients, and FACT in addition to training and supervising other clinicians working in various settings, including social work, primary care, psychiatry, oncology, and rehab and treatment centers.
Location
The Silver Cloud Hotel is located on the scenic Puget Sound in Tacoma’s lively, walkable Point Ruston village. You’ll enjoy stunning shoreline and mountain views as well as a variety of nearby attractions, including beaches, museums, numerous dining options, and waterfront walkways.
Amenities and Attractions
- Waterfront walkways and scenic mountain views
- Rooftop pool and hot tub (for overnight guests)
- In-house spa and a restaurant featuring regional wines and locally sourced ingredients
- Numerous walkable dining options
- Beaches, overlooks, gardens, and more within 25 minutes’ walking distance or a quick ride-share away
CEs
Up to 30 CE hours included with registration
Continuing education credits are approved for the following professionals:
Psychologists
Social Workers
Counselors
Psychiatrists
Nurses
Physicians
Drug and Alcohol Counselors
Before enrolling, please review complete CE information here.
FAQ
Because the training emphasizes practice, participants will need at least a basic existing knowledge of the focused acceptance and commitment therapy model to get the most out of this learning experience. This can be gained either through books, previous workshops, or supervised practice.
What’s more, after signing up you’ll receive a registration bonus, The FACT Basics Chapters, to help you review FACT fundamentals. Whether you’re newer to the model or want a refresher on important concepts, this bundle will help you hit the ground running at the training.
Secure your spot at the FACT Summer Intensive
Here’s what’s included with registration:
- 5 days of supervised hands-on training in a supportive, small-group setting
- One-on-one feedback from master FACT trainers
- Various learning “tracks” for a personalized training experience
- Daily continental breakfast featuring locally sourced ingredients
- Coffee and tea during all training sessions
- Beginner-friendly yoga classes in the mornings and evenings
- Access to nearby walking trails, dining options, and beaches
- Up to 30 CE hours
- Bonus! FACT Basics Chapters
Sign up before June 1 and save $100!
Groups of 3+ who register and pay together receive a 10% discount. Use code GROUP10
Who should join this training?
The FACT Summer Intensive can help you reach your professional goals if:
- You’re looking for a different kind of workshop where you can learn while also restoring your energy and making lasting connections with peers
- You have some exposure to focused ACT and want to build your fluency so you can be more effective in your limited time with clients
- You’re experienced in FACT but want to improve your skill through hours of hands-on, experiential learning
- You want hands-on practice in a supportive community environment and the chance to get personal feedback from the best
- You’re passionate about improving our healthcare systems so they can effectively support more people
Ready for a training experience you’ll never forget?
Groups of 3+ who register and pay together receive a 10% discount. Use code GROUP10