Basic Information

What: 1-Day Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Training Workshop.

When: Saturday, March 28, 2020, 8:30 AM – 4:45 PM

Where: Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai’i, Honolulu, Hawai’i, U.S.A.

Who: Led by Michael P. Twohig, Ph.D. (Utah State University Professor/ACT Researcher and a Peer-Reviewed ACT Therapist Trainer)

Why: Useful training and you can earn 6 CE credits (APA- and BACB-approved CE provider for psychologists and behavior analysts). All profits go to our local Hawai’i ACBS chapter.

The Association for Contextual Behavioral Science is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Association for Contextual Behavioral Science maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Workshop Objectives 

1) Articulate, at a basic level, the philosophy, theory, and unified model underlying ACT;

2) Identify the six ACT processes of change as they occur in session;

3) Use each of the six ACT processes of change with clients in session;

4) Implement specific ACT experiential exercises and physical metaphors for use in practice;

5) Apply strategic principles for constructing effective value-based between-session behavioral goals. 

Workshop leader

Michael P. Twohig, Ph.D., is professor of psychology in the Combined Clinical and Counseling Program at Utah State University (USU) in Logan, UT. His research interests seek to develop interventions for problems of social importance. He actively conducts research investigating the mechanisms of change and effectiveness of ACT for anxiety disorders, especially Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Trichotillomania, and chronic skin-picking. He has published over 5 books and 120 empirical articles, and is a leading ACT researcher. He actively mentors doctoral students at USU and is co-director of the USU ACT Research Group. Dr. Twohig is also a peer-reviewed ACT therapist trainer, and has given many ACT workshops and trainings. Dr. Twohig received his Ph.D. at the University of Nevada, Reno under Dr. Steven C. Hayes, one of the developers of ACT.

Workshop Abstract

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an innovative type of psychotherapy that falls within the cognitive behavioral tradition. ACT is a unified treatment model that has strong support for specific disorders such as chronic pain, depression, substance use, and anxiety disorders. ACT works under the assumption that people are not broken and our thinking patterns and emotions are both logical and appropriate. The problem lies in the way we attempt to control and regulate these inner experiences. ACT assumes that most psychological disorders—or things that people struggle with—are at least partially the result of our attempts to regulate our thoughts and feelings and not the thoughts and feelings themselves. During this workshop, participants will be given an introduction to ACT and get to experience an abbreviated version of the entire ACT treatment protocol. Participants will be asked to select a relatively minor struggle in their lives (for example: anxiety about sports, struggles at work or school, uncertainties about careers, or struggles in friendships) and practice working through these issues using ACT techniques. Participants will be given opportunities to share their reactions to the exercises. This will give participants first-hand experience and insight into the ACT treatment model.

Target Audience

This training is appropriate for clinical practitioners at all levels of expertise, working with any population in any treatment setting.

Workshop Details

For the spring workshop, the cost of the registration is as follows:

Professionals: 

$150 (early registration discount until 1/31/2020)

$180 (regular registration from 2/1/2020 – 3/14/2020)

$200 (registration price the day of the event at the door)

***A discount of 20% off the total registration price for groups of 3 or more professionals will also be available. Prices listed for groups of 3, 4, and 5 below. Please contact workshop coordinator for details about registration for groups greater than 5.***

Students (with valid student ID):

$75 (early registration discount until 1/31/2020)

$90 (regular registration from 2/1/2020 – 3/14/2020)

$100 (registration price the day of the event at the door)

Included in the cost of registration is a complimentary 1-year membership for the Hawai’i chapter of Association of the Contextual Behavioral Sciences (H-ACBS), contingent on membership in good standing with the flagship ACBS organization.

We accept registration up to the start of the workshop. Refunds cannot be made after March 22^th, but will be made in full through March 22th. 

This workshop is run by the Hawai’i Chapter of the Association of Contextual Behavioral Sciences. Feel free to contact the workshop coordinator, Sam Spencer, at (507) 508-2357 or [email protected] with any questions.

Disclosure of financial interest(s): Dr. Twohig will receive financial compensation for presenting at this training seminar.