ACT with Compassion

Introduction

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based 'third wave' CBT approach, which also takes useful philosophical stances from Existentialism and Gestalt frameworks to create powerful counselling and therapeutic tools. ACT is increasingly demonstrating its effectiveness to help clients across a range of psychological issues.

Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) is a psychological approach that helps individuals cultivate self-compassion and reduce self-criticism, particularly in the contexts of shame, trauma, depression and anxiety.

Course Content

This Workshop will cover how to effectively, creatively, compassionately, and flexibly integrate the key skills of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) to help you and your clients create more lasting changes, where you and they can often get stuck!

Practice using the 6 core processes of ACT:

• Contact with the present moment
• Acceptance
• Defusion
• Self-as-context
• Values
• Committed Action

As well as the 3 Circles model of CFT:

• Threat
• Ambition
• Soothing

Participants will also use ‘the Matrix’, as a tool for ongoing assessment, and contextual targeting of ACT processes. The importance of compassion, validation and client collaboration will be discussed throughout the course of the workshop.