Online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Groups

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (usually referred to as 'ACT') is an evidence based therapy that has demonstrated impact on increasing well-being and resilience and reducing suffering for a wide range of people and struggles. ACT is a very active therapy! It encourages people to really think about how their actions help or hinder them and explores how to manage thoughts and emotions so that you are more easily able to take the actions you want to take. ACT can seem counterintuitive as it does not aim to 'get rid' of difficult emotions or thoughts. Instead goals are set around values and action and managing emotions and thoughts instead of thoughts and emotions managing you.

I will be running the following online ACT groups in 2024:

ACT for Mental Health Professionals - 6 weeks, 50-60 minute sessions

ACT for Pain and Fatigue - 10 weeks, 45 minute sessions

ACT for Well-being - 6 weeks, 1 hour sessions

Please email to join the next group

ACT for mental health professionals

6 weeks, 50-60 minute sessions, online via Zoom

This group is made specifically for mental health professionals! Designed to help professionals use and apply ACT skills in their own lives and practice. This group aims to provide the space to help the helpers apply the skills to themselves, enhance practitioner well-being and manage burnout and stress. Additionally, learning the skills and practicing them is a great way to gain experience and familiarity with the skills to make it easier to then use with your clients.

Each session will include learning ACT skills, applying them to yourself in session and making a plan to use the skills between sessions.

I have been using ACT in my practice and on myself since 2014 and I have completed three trainings Russ Harris (online and in person) in ACT over the last few years. I have been passionate about the mental health of mental health professionals since working in community mental health. I've both witnessed and experienced the stressors of intense mental health focused work. In 2015 I completed a PhD exploring burnout for health professionals and students and it is an area I am still passionate about!

Week 1 - Introduction and values

Week 2 - Goal setting in ACT

Week 3 - Defusion skills

Week 4 - Acceptance skills

Week 5 - Self compassion

Week 6 - Review and action plan

Location: Online via Zoom

Dates: TBC

Time: TBC

Cost: $400 for six sessions plus resources

ACT for pain and fatigue

10 weeks, 45 minute sessions, online via Zoom

ACT has been demonstrated to significantly help people manage ongoing pain and fatigue more effectively (Du et al, 2021; Maunick, 2023). As part of my training I interned in the Royal Adelaide Hospital Pain Clinic and I continue to work with people experiencing chronic pain, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and POTS.

This group will help apply the principles of ACT to pain and fatigue. The group also includes other evidence based resources such as pacing, relaxation and sleep hygiene taught in an ACT consistent way. The aim of ACT is not to 'get rid' of pain but to live a meaningful, value based life even when pain or fatigue are present. Despite the goal not being pain reduction often people will experience a reduction in pain or improvement in energy. Sessions are kept to a shorter frame to aid managing pain and fatigue. Sessions are capped at 8 participants to allow for discussion and interaction.

Week 1 - Introduction to ACT and current theories of pain and fatigue

Week 2 - Values

Week 3 - Pacing techniques

Week 4 - Relaxation techniques

Week 5 - Insomnia and sleep improvement

Week 6 - Goals and habit building

Week 7 - Managing difficult thoughts with unhooking skills

Week 8 - Mindfulness and allowing skills

Week 9 - Self compassion

Week 10 - Review and action plan

Sessions: To be confirmed - please contact me for more information and to be on the waitlist

Cost: $500 for ten 45 minute sessions plus resources

ACT for well-being

6 weeks, 1 hour sessions, online via Zoom

Learn to apply ACT to your life. Manage stress, emotions, negative thinking in a new way. This group is for adults wanting to learn about ACT and how to apply it to your own life and goals. ACT is often used in life coaching to help people lead the lives they want, instead of their emotions and thoughts leading them. This course will help you to understand your values, how to create meaning in your life, how to manage thoughts and emotions in a new way and to build an understanding of why all humans struggle and how we can start to drop the struggle. I am an experienced ACT therapist and use ACT regularly with clients and on myself.

Week 1 - Why we struggle and exploration of values

Week 2 - Goal setting and habit building

Week 3 - Managing negative thoughts

Week 4 - Exploring emotions and a new way of managing them

Week 5 - Building self compassion and self care

Week 6 - Review and action plan

Sessions: To Be Confirmed - please contact me for more information and to be on the waitlist

Cost: $400 for six 1 hour sessions plus resources

References:

Du et al. (2021). Acceptance and commitment Therapy for chronic pain on functioning: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials, Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, Volume 131

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.09.022

Maunick et al. (2023). Effects of acceptance and commitment therapy on fatigue for patients with cancer and other chronic health conditions: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, Volume 171

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2023.111366

contact