Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT): 3-Day Master Class

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Faculty

Jennifer L. Patterson, PsyD, LCPC Related seminars and products

JPI Psychological Solutions

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Jennifer Patterson, Psy.D., LCPC, has a mission to offer evidence-based psychotherapy to help others live full and abundant lives. She is the founder of JPI Psychological Solutions in Mokena, Illinois and specializes in treating obsessive compulsive behaviors, anxiety and depression. At JPI she uses ACT and other third-wave models to assist clients with increasing quality of life.

Dr. Patterson is an ACT trainer and has led over 500 ACT workshops across the US and internationally. She has served as vice-president of the Chicago Chapter for the Association for Contextual Behavioral Sciences. Dr. Patterson was a featured psychologist on The Learning Channel (TLC) and former co-author for Psychology Today’s blog “When More Isn’t Enough.” Dr. Patterson received both her master’s and doctoral degrees from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology. She is a formally trained ACT clinician and is very skilled in mindful-based therapies and empirically-supported treatments.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Jennifer Patterson maintains a private practice. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Jennifer Patterson is a member of the Illinois Psychological Association, the American Psychological Association, and the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science.

Objectives

1. Develop a deep understanding of the theoretical and philosophical foundation of the ACT model to help clients increase psychological flexibility.
2. Use knowledge base of ACT as a contextual behavioral science and how it differs from Cognitive Behavioral therapies.
3. Detect the six psychological inflexible processes which maintain psychological rigidity and understand how it pulls clients away from value based behaviors.
4. Formulate ACT consistent case conceptualizations to understand avoidance and how it relates to maintaining away moves related to value based behaviors.
5. Utilize ACT case conceptualizations to prepare evidence-based treatment plans to assist with a cohesive treatment approach.
6. Utilize the six psychological flexible processes in ACT to facilitate emotional openness and increase psychological flexibility in clients.
7. Analyze how ACT attempts to undermine problematic language obstacles and implement clinical skills to assist clients with getting unhooked from their thoughts.
8. Use metaphors, analogies, and experiential exercises to improve clients understanding of self and increase value-based behaviors.
9. Implement ACT evidence-based protocols and processes into treatment for specific disorders including depression, anxiety, trauma and the personality disorders.
10. Synthesize core ACT interventions, like defusion, mindfulness, acceptance and the observer self, to increase clients value-based behaviors.
11. Utilize ACT interventions, like contacting the present moment, to assist with developing observation and awareness skills for your client.
12. Integrate the role of self-compassion in the ACT model and utilize exercises to help clients build self-acceptance.
13. Create an effective and valued therapeutic relationship through the use of compassion-focused therapy processes.
14. Develop an understanding of the ACT extension models and integrate core ACT techniques to use with trauma, adolescents, groups and couples.
15. Incorporate awareness training from the Crosshairs model to help clients with trauma to effectively identify painful thoughts and feelings and determine behaviors as being helpful or unhelpful in an effort to increase valued living.
16. Implement the core skills from the DNA-V youth model, like mindfulness and action, to support personal growth and improve psychological problems in adolescent clients.
17. Demonstrate how to implement the choice point skills useful for in-the-moment integration of CBT and ACT to assist clients to respond flexibly to the situations that occur outside of sessions.
18. Integrate core self-compassion techniques and awareness training to assist your clients with effective interpersonal functioning and increasing satisfaction in interpersonal relationships.
19. Utilize the ACT Matrix in session with groups and individuals in order to improve client engagement and strengthen commitment to values-consistent behaviors.

Outline

Master the Core Skills & Competencies of ACT

The ACT Model

• What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
• Evolution of Third Wave Behavioral Therapies
• Outcome Studies

Foundations of ACT

• Contextual Behavioral Sciences
• Functional Contextualism
• Relational Frame Theory
• Happiness Trap
• Importance of Understanding for Clinical Practice

Case Conceptualization

• Experiential Avoidance as the Core Problem
• Creative Hopelessness Exercises
• Assessment Measures
• ACT Clinical Interview
• Inflexahex Diagnostic Model

Limitations of the Research and Potential Risks

• Children and adolescents
• Acute, florid hallucinations
• Catatonic depression
• Individuals with an adverse reaction to mindfulness exercises

Diagnostic Model: Six Core Processes of Psychological Inflexibility

• Experiential Avoidance
• Lack of Awareness
• Unclear Values
• Unhelpful Behaviors
• Attachment to Conceptualized Self
• Cognitive Fusion

Treatment Model: Six Core Processes of Psychological Flexibility

• Acceptance
• Mindful Decision Making
• Values Clarification
• Value-Based Behaviors
• Understanding Sense-of-Self
• Defusion

Interventions and Strategies

• Evidence-Based Processes and Practices
• Mindfulness Action Plan
• Commitment Plan Worksheet
• Integration of Evidence-Based Models CBT, DBT, CFT
• Role Play
• Videos
• Case Presentations

ACT Treatment Planning

• Suggestaflex Model
• Metaphors
• Paradoxical Processes
• Mindfulness Techniques
• Self-Compassion Exercises
• And Much More!

ACT in Action

Trauma

• Function of Trauma Symptoms
• Specify Treatment Goals
• Target Self-harm Behaviors
• Increase Psychological Safety
• Mindfulness Exercises

Anxiety

• 12 Week Protocol
• Control as the Problem
• Mindful Worry Sheet
• FEAR Algorithm
• FEEL Exposure Work

Personality Disorders

• Increase Emotional Tolerance
• Values Clarification
• Mind vs. Experience
• Target the Client’s Story
• Work with Client Anger
• Role of Therapist Self-disclosure

Depression

• 12 Week Protocol
• Reason Giving
• Rumination
• Story Telling
• Damaged Conceptualized Self
• Behavioral Activation

ACT Extension Models

Groups & Individuals: The ACT Matrix

• Simple Format for Groups and Individuals
• Five-sense Experiences
• Mental Experiences
• Toward Moves
• Away Moves
• The Four Quadrants

Trauma Prevention & Treatment: The Crosshairs Diagram

• Awareness Training
• Identify Painful Thoughts and Feelings
• Identify Situations as Being Helpful or Unhelpful
• Living Your Values at Work, Home, or in Other Important Areas of Life

Adolescents: The DNA-V Model

• For Adolescents, Parents, Teachers
• Based on Growth and Development
• Understand the 3 Processes and 2 Perspectives of Model
• Assist Adolescent with Handling Difficult Thoughts, Feelings, and Situation
• Discoverer Role
• Noticer Role
• Advisor Role

Outside of Client Session: The Choice Point Model

• Useful for In-the-moment Integration of CBT and ACT
• Target Situation Selection and Modification
• Values and Skills Section
• Modify the Form or Frequency of Inner Experience
• Respond Flexibly to the Situation and the Inner Experience
• Help the Client Identify and Use Strengths

Couples: The ID Model

• Assists with Conceptualization and Treatment of Interpersonal Relationship Issues
• Self-dislike
• Lack of Insight
• Emotional Avoidance or Attachment to Emotional Experience
• Self-compassion
• Self-awareness
• Self-acceptance

Target Audience

• Counselors
• Social Workers
• Psychologists
• Psychiatrists
• Case Managers
• Addiction Counselors
• Therapists
• Marriage & Family Therapists
• Nurses
• Other Mental Health Professionals