An Experiential Introduction to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

(This training experience is for mental health professionals.)

Most of the clients who seek our help have one seemingly reasonable request: please help me feel better. This request carries at least three important assumptions. The first assumption is that it is not normal to have certain emotional experiences. The second assumption is that it is important to regulate one's emotional experiences as a prerequisite for living a good life. The third assumption is that the client's own efforts to change their unwanted experiences have been unsuccessful because they have been using ineffective techniques. Ironically, these three assumptions about the "problem" of unwanted private experiences can give rise to an even bigger problem: portions of one's life must be mortgaged in the service of pain avoidance. Despite our clients' best efforts at pain avoidance, their attempted solutions often become the main problem to be addressed in therapy. In trying to escape the "aches and pains" of living, our clients are living lives that have become increasingly less about what is personally meaningful and important to them. To make matters worse, these sacrifices often do not result in the elimination of the unwanted private experiences that have been targeted.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT, pronounced as one word) is part of a larger movement within the field of cognitive-behavior therapy that stresses the importance of psychological acceptance, rather than the elimination of psychological distress, as the basis for meaningful therapeutic change. Although ACT is a relatively new approach to treatment, it has increasing empirical support for a surprisingly wide range of presenting problems.


In this workshop, you will learn about:

- The philosophical and theoretical assumptions that form the bedrock for all ACT interventions
- The normal, human language processes that give rise to suffering
- The paradoxical effects of experiential avoidance
- Six core ACT processes (contact with the present moment, self-as-context, defusion, acceptance, values, commitment)

In this workshop, you will learn how to:

- Use ACT principles to conceptualize a variety of presenting problems.
- Use metaphor, experiential exercises, language conventions, and the therapeutic relationship to disrupt unhelpful language processes
- Increase clients' awareness of personal values
- Aid clients in making and keeping behavioral commitments in the service of their values


PLEASE NOTE: Although there will be some didactic portions of this training experience, this will be an EXPERIENTIAL workshop. Attendees will be invited to participate in a variety of experiential exercises that are included in the ACT protocol. This method of training is intended to give workshop participants a "hands on" experience of working with the six core ACT processes described above. Although no one will be required to share personal information with the group, participants will be strongly encouraged to share their reactions to experiential exercises.


Who is conducting the training?
Andrew "Andy" Santanello, Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist in Maryland. He is currently a staff psychologist in the VA Maryland Health Care System stationed at the Perry Point VA Medical center and a staff therapist at the Anxiety and Stress Disorders Institute. Dr. Santanello is the co-developer of an ACT-based treatment for clinically relevant anger (Honorably Experiencing Anger and Threat Group or HEAT Group) and has been conducting ACT training since 2006.

When is the training?
This experiential workshop with occur from 9:00 AM ÃÆ'Ã'¢Ã¢'Ã'¬" 5:00 PM on Friday, Jun 26 and
9:00 AM ÃÆ'Ã'¢Ã¢'Ã'¬" 5:00 PM on Saturday, June 27.

Where will the training be held?
Training will be held at the Anxiety and Stress Disorders Institute (ASDI) in Rm. 200 of the Gibson Building. Please use this link for driving directions.

What will the training cost?
The cost for the two-day training experience will be $250.

Are CEU's credits available?
Yes! ASDI is an authorized sponsor by both the Maryland Board of Psychology and the Maryland Board of Social Work to offer CEU's.

Who should I contact to sign-up?
Call our Office Manager, Sandy Schultheis at 410.938.8449. If you reach our answering service menu press "0" to get an operator. Ask for Sandy Schultheis to leave a message for her regarding ACT. Give your full name and any numbers where you can be reached. You may also send her an email: sandyschultheis@yahoo.com She will reply to all calls and emails.

*Please note that this training will be limited to 26 participants on a first come, first served basis.

What if I have other questions about the workshop?
If you have any other questions about the workshop, please email Dr. Santanello at santanellodz@gmail.com

Anxiety and Stress Disorders Institute of Maryland:
Treating anxiety disorders and stress-related disorders in Towson, Maryland, since 1978.