Professional Workshop: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Applications in the Current Pandemic Era

Join us for a Professional Workshop for psychologists, social workers, counselors, and other mental health professionals!

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Applications in the Current Pandemic Era
Presented by: Jordan Cattie, PhD, and Katherine A. Cullum, PhD

During the COVID-19 pandemic, countless disruptions and challenges impacted everyday life as well as clinical care. Clinicians were called upon to maintain flexibility in the context of uncertainty on a near-constant basis. The Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) framework can support our adaptation to this unique context; ACT aims to foster psychological flexibility by disarming the struggle with uncomfortable thoughts and emotions and aligning actions with personal values and sources of meaning and purpose. To support providers, this workshop will summarize the ACT framework and transdiagnostic applications, then highlight the particular relevance of this approach to current pandemic-related mental health challenges. This workshop will be geared to engage providers at any level of previous ACT experience by linking theory and experiential practice, and developing integrative treatment plans incorporating ACT tools and techniques alongside other empirically supported treatments. 

Learning Objectives:

After this lecture, attendees will be able to:

1. Define the basic processes and approach to ACT psychotherapy and its transdiagnostic applications.
2. Describe the particular relevance of ACT in addressing pandemic-related stress, anxiety, and low mood.
3. Define ways in which ACT language and exercises can augment other psychotherapy approaches.