Demystifying ACT – Session 1

Outline

There will be two 15-minute breaks in each session, as well as 1 hour for lunch

• Introduction
  • Putting ACT in Practice
• The ACT Model
  • The nature of human suffering
  • “Healthy normality” is a myth
  • Language: The double-edged sword
  • Undermining unhelpful thoughts
  • Aiming for psychological flexibility and why
  • Introducing the ACT hexagon model
• Acceptance: Strengthening a willingness to have emotions
  • The opposite of acceptance is experiential avoidance
  • Experiential avoidance throughout the lifespan
  • Why acceptance is important
  • Case example: Teenage shyness & Hoarding
• Defusion: Looking at thoughts rather than from thoughts
  • Dealing with automatic thoughts
  • The power of words
  • The problem with cognitive fusion
  • Addressing CBT-based Disputation techniques with Defusion
  • “Taking Your Mind for a Walk” exercise
  • Case example:  Eating Disorders & Social Phobia
• Perspective-taking: Understanding the “Self” in ACT
  • Self-as-content, self-as-perspective, self-as-context
  • The Observer Self exercise
  • Dealing with identity issues
  • Case examples related to PTSD & Childhood Sexual Trauma
• Mindfulness: Contacting the Present Moment
  • Why being in the Here-and-Now is critical for mental health
  • The relationship between mindlessness and psychopathology
  • Meditation, mindfulness, and mindful action
  • Exercises for mindful action
  • Case example: Anger, Personality Disorders, Alcoholism