Acceptance and Commitment Therapy via Zoom

Description:

This workshop will be highly experiential with a focus on helping participants practice and build skills that they can readily integrate into their work with military clients.  It’s designed to give participants a strong foundation in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) theory and practice. The workshop is ideal for beginning practitioners new to the model as well as those already practicing ACT at an intermediate level who want to broaden their repertoire.

Over the course of two days, we will work with participants to assess psychological problems using the Psychological Flexibility model, learn and practice skills relevant to each of the 6 core psychological flexibility processes, use the ACT skills to help clients differentiate between ineffective and meaningful actions, and to identify and address key indicators of psychological inflexibility.  In addition, the training will explore the ways in which language and metaphor influence behavior and can be used in therapy to help change behavior.  We will use experiential exercises, small group work and dyad work to encourage participants to practice and enhance new skills.  

Course Level: Intermediate

Attendance Requirements:

• A working microphone is MANDATORY to allow for participation in role-play exercises. We HIGHLY encourage headphones to prevent feedback issues.
• Attendees must participate using a separate computer rather than joining a group of people viewing via one machine to acquire credit for attendance.
• This course will be presented via Zoom teleconferencing software. Zoom is browser-based, however an add-in may need to be installed before attending. Participants can test their computer's capabilities by visiting https://zoom.us/test.
• We recommend attending on a non-DoD computer network. Those using Internet connections on government or military networks should test their ability to load Zoom in advance of the event to ensure there are no technical difficulties.
• Please note that role play participation is an attendance requirement for this workshop to receive credit. Logging out deliberately or lack of participation during role plays will count against attendance. If you are unable to participate, or prefer to observe, please let us know, and we will accommodate as needed.

Platform Information:

This course will be presented via Zoom teleconferencing software. Participants will not have to install any additional programs on their computer to take part. However, a web browser is necessary. Participants can test their computer's capabilities by clicking here (or visiting http://zoom.us/test). We recommend those using Internet connections on government or military locations test their ability to load Zoom in advance of the event to ensure there are no technical difficulties. It is recommended that Mac users access the training link using either the Chrome or Firefox browser to minimize problems. Everyone must participate using a separate computer rather than joining a group of people viewing via one machine.

Learning Objectives:

Attendees will be able to:

1. Appraise the utility of the assumption of healthy normality when making sense of human suffering. 

2. Formulate presenting problems of military clients from a functional contextual perspective

3. Distinguish between the 6 processes that promote psychological flexibility 

4. Apply the Psychological Flexibility Model of psychopathology to create unique ACT treatment plans

5. Use key theoretical concepts related to functional contextualism and relational frame theory to enhance clinical interventions

6. Integrate conversations about the unworkability of control-based strategies for managing presenting problems into client interactions.

7. Develop client motivation to consider acceptance and willingness as an alternative to struggling with unwanted internal experiences.

8. Apply “open” skills to address experiential avoidance and cognitive fusion 

9. Use “aware” skills to address over identification with ones’ self-concept and rigid attention to the past and/or future 

10. Demonstrate “engage” skills to address lack of meaning and purpose and ineffective behavior (e.g., procrastination, avoidant persistence) 

11. Evaluate options for continued education and training in the ACT model of treatment.

AGENDA

Day One

Introductions, Opening Exercise

11:00am –11:30am ET

Idiographic Assessment using the Matrix

11:30am – 1:00pm ET

Break

1:00pm – 1:15pm ET

Foundations: ACT in Historical Context, Functional Contextualism, Core Yearnings

1:15pm – 3:00pm ET

Lunch

3:00pm – 4:00pm ET

Foundations: Relational Frame Theory, Psychological Inflexibility Processes

4:00pm – 5:30pm ET

Break

5:30pm – 5:45pm ET

Pretreatment Assessment, Informed Consent, and Preparing Clients for ACT

5:45pm – 7:30pm ET

Day Two

Opening Exercise

11:00am – 11:15am ET

Open Skills: Cowgnitive Defusion and Acceptance

11:15am – 1:00pm ET

Break

1:00pm – 1:15pm ET

Aware Skills: Flexible Attention to Present Moment and Perspective Taking

1:15pm – 3:00pm ET

Lunch

3:00pm – 4:00pm ET

Engage Skills: Values Clarification and Committed Action

4:00pm – 5:30pm ET

Break

5:30pm – 5:45pm ET

ACTplications to Military Clients: Case conceptualization, Research related to ACT and military clients, peer-to-peer consultation

5:45pm – 7:30pm ET

*Please note that agenda times are approximate and subject to change, depending on the needs of the workshop.

Continuing Education:

Course Completion Requirements: Participants are required to attend the entire training. Partial credits cannot  be issued. Attendance is taken through the use of electronic logs, and a post-training evaluation form must be  completed in order to receive social work CE credits. For psychology CE credits, completion of the evaluation is  strongly encouraged. If you do not wish to complete the evaluation but desire to receive psychology CEs please contact  the POC after the training event.  

There is a 30-day time limit post-training to complete all CE requirements. CE Credit Certificates will be available for  download from CE21 within 30 days after all course requirements have been completed. 

American Psychological Association Sponsor Approval: The Center for Deployment Psychology is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing  education for psychologists. The Center for Deployment Psychology maintains responsibility for this program and its  content.  

Association of Social Work Boards Approved Continuing Education Provider Approval: The Center for Deployment Psychology, #1761, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the  Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not  individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to  determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. The Center for Deployment Psychology maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: May 19, 2022 – May 19,  2025. Social workers completing this course receive 14 Live, Interactive Webinar continuing education credits. 

Inquiries regarding CE credits may be directed via email to Aric Bowie at aric.bowie.ctr@usuhs.edu. 

Participate:

Online Platform: Zoom

Date: October 12-13, 2022 

Time: 11:00am – 7:30 pm Eastern

Registration Information: Registration is done through event management system CE21, and the link will be provided to prospective attendees via the CDP website (https://deploymentpsych.ce21.com/item/acceptance-commitment-therapy-zoom-93548). 

Registration Deadline: Registration for this training closes one week prior to the training date. 

Cancellations/Questions: Please contact aric.bowie.ctr@usuhs.edu if you have any questions or need to cancel  your registration. 

Registration Cost/Refunds: $45

Location Information: Training will be held online via Zoom.

Please arrive within 30 minutes before the beginning of the training to complete all registration forms and sign-in documents.

Instructional Format: This live webinar is fully interactive. Attendees may ask and answer questions throughout the  presentation and participate in instructor-led discussions.

System Requirements: 

Zoom: 

• Internet connection

• Operating System: Windows 7 or higher, Mac OS X with MacOS 10.9 or higher

• Web Browser: Internet Explorer 11+, Edge 12+, Firefox 27+, Chrome 30+, Safari 7+

• Hardware: 1Ghz processor or higher

Special Accommodations: If you require special accommodations due to a disability, please contact Aric Bowie at aric.bowie.ctr@usuhs.edu 4 weeks prior to the training so that we may provide you with appropriate service.

Grievances: For any grievances or concerns with this training including those related to course content, non-receipt of certificate or other occurrences, participants may contact CDP’s Continuing Education Director, Ms. Amanda Milochik, via email at Amanda.milochik.ctr@usuhs.edu.   

Instructor Biographies: 

Andrew Santanello, Psy.D is a Senior Military Behavioral Health Psychologist at the Center for Deployment Psychology of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences with expertise in the areas of PTSD, mindfulness, Cognitive Processing Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. In addition to being an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and National Cognitive Processing Therapy trainer, Dr. Santanello is also a member of the CDP Presents team, a regular contributor to the Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF), and co-host of CDP's podcast, Practical for Your Practice . In addition to his work with CDP, Dr. Santanello is the President-Elect of the ACT for Military Special Interest Group and Member-At-Large of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter (MAC) of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS).

Erin Frick, Psy.D. is a clinical psychologist serving as a Senior Military Behavioral Health Psychologist for the Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP) at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. In this role, she develops and leads Evidence-Based Psychotherapy (EBP) trainings and is integrally involved in diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts within CDP. Dr. Frick earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Manchester University (formerly Manchester College) in Indiana. She graduated with her master’s degree in mental health counseling from Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN and her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Wright State University in Dayton, OH. 

Prior to joining CDP, she worked as a contract psychologist treating active duty military members at Travis Air Force Base, CA utilizing multiple EBPs. Before this, she worked primarily in university counseling and community mental health centers. Over the course of her career, Dr. Frick’s clinical work has focused on suicide prevention, the dissemination and implementation of EBPs, developing group therapy services in mental health clinics, training and supervising staff, mindfulness-based treatments, and the assessment and treatment of trauma-related mental health conditions.

**There is no commercial support or conflict of interest to report for these presenters.