2. When Time Matters: A Process Based Approach to Brief ACT Interventions

Speakers:
Kirk Strosahl, HeartMatters Consulting LLC
Patti Robinson, Mountainview Consulting Group, Inc.

Components: Case presentation, Conceptual analysis, Didactic presentation, Role play

Categories: Clinical Interventions and Interests, Supervision, Training and Dissemination, Brief ACT Interventions

Target Audience: Intermediate

Description:
More and more clinicians are practicing in contexts that require delivery of brief, sometimes single session, interventions (i.e., health care, schools, jails, nursing homes). Even therapists working in traditional contexts are being pressured to “do more, with less”. Fortunately, research shows that very brief interventions produce surprisingly powerful and durable clinical benefits. Adopting a process-based, brief intervention approach will allow the clinician to produce powerful results in those contexts where time matters. In this workshop, we will explore Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (fACT) as a method for targeting four potent process-based change mechanisms within every clinical conversation: developing context-sensitivity; creating observational distance from, and acceptance of, private experience; reformulating self-instructional rules to encourage approach behaviors, increasing behavioral variability to identify workable actions. Participants will learn how to organize the “flow” of the clinical conversation to optimize the impact of these potent change mechanisms within each and every contact with the client. Video demonstrations and guided dyadic role play practice will help participants learn skills that they can be applied immediately in clinical practice.

Educational Objectives:
1. Describe the four underlying process based change mechanisms of Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (fACT).
2. Conduct a process-based, contextually focused clinical interview that organizes the “flow” of the conversation with the client.
3. Create and implement a clinical intervention that integrates the four underlying process- based change mechanisms.