ACT workshop Series

Introduction to A cceptance and Commitment Therapy and Experiential Workshop

Led by Mike Twohig, Ph.D

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an innovative type of psychotherapy that falls within the cognitive behavioral tradition. ACT is a unified treatment model that has strong support for specific disorders such as chronic pain, depression, substance use, and anxiety disorders. ACT works under the assumption that people are not broken and our thinking patterns and emotions are both logical and appropriate. The problem lies in the way we attempt to control and regulate these inner experiences. ACT assumes that most psychological disorders—or things that people struggle with—are at least partially the result of our attempts to regulate our thoughts and feelings and not the thoughts and feelings themselves. During this workshop, participants will be given an introduction to ACT and get to experience an abbreviated version of the entire ACT treatment protocol. Attendees will be asked to select a relatively minor struggle in their lives (e.g., struggles at work or school, uncertainties about careers, or struggles in friendships) and practice working through these issues using ACT techniques. All will be given opportunities to share their reactions to the exercises. All professionals interested in mental health and/or behavioral science are welcome to attend!