I don’t only use ACT in my practice. Will this group be a good fit for me?

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Just as ACT’s process-based foundations make it easy to integrate with other therapies, the principles you'll explore in this group will be applicable across methodologies to motivate and sustain change. You will come to understand, for example, how values work can track with exposure, mindfulness, self-compassion, and other widely applicable interventions.

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That said, the discussions and demonstrations within the group are ACT-focused, but you do not need to  have any experience with the model and its principles to benefit from attending. The first part of each session focuses in on an aspect of the approach which is then put into practice for the remainder of the session.  This group will help you develop a basic understanding of the approach and allow for a more understanding of the concepts and process so that you can use them effectively in your work.

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What types of clients can benefit from an ACT approach?

 

ACT can potentially be applied in therapeutic work with any type of client, because it is a transdiagnostic model. Since it supports positive change and helps build flexibility and resilience, this approach can also be helpful in many non-therapy settings, such as coaching, social work, primary care, teaching, and more. In any field where human health and performance is involved, ACT can support you in your work.

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Will this group help me work with complex cases?

 

In the course of working with us and reviewing support materials, be believe that you will develop a deep and nuanced understanding of the six core processes and well as how to use them in your work, even when you encounter obstacles like conflicting values, social resistance, or patterns of stuckness. This will absolutely help you navigate work with complex cases.  There is often discussions about how to approach clients who are especially resistant to values work, which would also be helpful in many complex scenarios.

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When will I be able to start using ACT with clients? 

 

You will learn a new perspective as well as experiential exercises and tools that you can begin using with clients straightaway. Each session with the group dives into one fundamental aspect of ACT so that you will ideas, exercises, and tools at your disposal after attending even just one practice session. 

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Will this group help me work with challenging clients?

 

ACT offers a framework for understanding how clients get stuck and tools for helping them — as well as you — get unstuck. Research shows that responding to difficult emotions and thoughts more flexibly and taking actions that support personal values can help humans navigate a wide range of diagnoses and difficulties.

 

And, because the central aim of ACT is to coach these skills, the model can be applied to virtually any problem that clients experience. It can give you a better sense of direction in your work with clients who seem resistant to change, and a method for helping them move forward.

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How much time will I need to dedicate to this course?

 

Come as you are, when you can.  how much time you dedicate is, of course, up to you.  There are hours of reading, viewing and listening resources that you can access as your schedule permits.  The monthly meeting is a two hour time commitment in which we ask that you are present for the who session in order to decrease the engagement times of those present.

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Is this course eligible for CE credit hours?

 

This course is sanction and approved by the Rhode Island Mental Health Counselors Association. We can assign one CE for each session for up to 12 CE's for the year.

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Is there a cost for joining this group?

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The group is completely free for those who wish to come and see if this is for them.  On our substack, we offer plenty of free resources, especially if they are from other organizations such as the Association for Behavioral Contextual Science or from field leaders like Steven Hayes or Robyn Walser. 

 

More more nuanced articles, videos, or audio - we as for a modest monthly fee of $5/month or $60/year to help cover time invested in supporting this initiative.  If you would like the CE's and to be listed on our directory, we ask for a minimum of $80/year, again to cover efforts and resources like this website and paperwork to go above and beyond.

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We have promised to the larger ACT community to make sure that those who are interested are not blocked from doing so by high price points and have committed to keeping the price well below reasonable.  We hope you agree.

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​​​​How Does ACT Compare To Other Types Of Therapy?

 

As a mental health intervention, ACT and fACT have been empirically proven to be a highly effective treatment for people dealing with depression, chronic pain, and all sorts of anxiety disorders such as PTSD, OCD, panic disorder and social phobias.

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ACT therapy also works for specific issues such as helping people be more focused at the workplace, and performing better at school or in sports. In addition, ACT therapy has become a popular treatment method to find personal contentment, increase quality of life, and the commitment to live life on purpose.

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In comparison to other behavioral psychological approaches, you determine the actions you will take to resolve your challenges. ACT allows a lot of space for your therapist to tailor exercises unique to you as you collaborate on what you value most and what goals you want to achieve.  One of the main differences is about developing the skills needed to being present in the moment and accepting our thoughts and feelings instead of fighting or feeling guilty for them.  This means coming up with a plan to create and live a life with meaning, which includes the pain that comes along with it.

 

ACT acknowledges that there is pain in life that cannot be avoided — negative thoughts and feelings are an innate part of the human experience — but we can work with our experience of that pain so that it does not create more suffering. Running away from any problem only increases the distance from a solution.  ACT therapy less about stopping or fighting these negative experiences and emotions, and more about learning to objectively deal with them so they don’t derail us from living a life with meaning and intent.

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ACT THERAPY BENEFITS

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• Process-based, client-driven, self-directed;

• Non-toxic, non-invasive and does not require medication;

• Can be used within a wide population of people because it is not targeting one particular issue;

• Does not require talking in detail about the distressing issues, nor does it require a specific traumatic event to have occurred;

• Can be brief or longer term therapy;

• Challenges thoughts by practicing mindfulness, being present in the moment, building distress tolerance and emotional self-regulation.