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New Directions in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Duration 10 weekly meetings
Tutor Ingrid Wallace
Course code SOC24A5550A
Fee £196
Concessionary fee £157 (find out about eligibility and funding options)
Location

Online course

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Duration 10 weekly meetings
Tutor Ingrid Wallace
Course code SOC24A5550B
Fee £196
Concessionary fee £157 (find out about eligibility and funding options)
Location

50-51 Park Place
Cathays
Cardiff
CF10 3AT

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This module is an intermediate to advanced level course in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

Especially for participants who wish to work with ACT, this course presents an opportunity to gain an up-to-date and rounded understanding of ACT.

New Directions in ACT requires participants to have basic knowledge of ACT. The course is open to all who meet this criterion, whether this knowledge of ACT stems from participation in ACT I and ACT II modules or who have experience of ACT in their professional practice.

Learning and teaching

On successful completion of the module a student will be able to:

New Directions in ACT requires participants to have basic knowledge of ACT.   The course is open to all who meet this criterion, whether this knowledge of ACT stems from participation in ACT 1, or any other ACT introductory course, training, or workshop.

Happy birthday ACT! ACT turned 40 this year and over this timespan much has changed.

Many new developments are coming out of the US and Australia.

Syllabus content

1. Models, processes, philosophy and theories

  • What’s in a generation?: The philosophy of ACT (3rd wave behaviour therapy) compared with CBT (2nd wave)
  • What’s in a name?: the original name of ACT – and what it says about ACT being process-based.
  • ACT and process-based therapy
    • What’s new and how does it relate to ACT and the Hexaflex?
    • How does ‘being transdiagnostic’ fit into this?
  • The theoretical background of ACT explored:
    • Relational Frame Theory

Relational Frames are verbal networks:

How we perceive ourselves and the world

2. Functional Contextualism

  • Easily understood with the ACT Matrix (the workability model developed by Kevin Polk)
    • ACT-consistent children’s books

Focussed ACT

F-ACT (ACT as brief intervention) was mainly developed for primary care settings

3. Focussed ACT continued

F-ACT (ACT as brief intervention) was mainly developed for primary care settings

4. The ACT Matrix

  • More than an ACT model, the Matrix is by now a complete and new way of doing ACT and make sense of our complex struggles in life:
  • The individual Matrix
  • The pro-social Matrix
  • Storyboarding with the Matrix
    • How to raise a client’s self-motivation
    • Essential metaphors
  • How does the Matrix relate to the other ACT models
  • Watch your language when doing the Matrix!

Coursework and assessment

Reflective Journal (100%)

Reading suggestions

  • The Essential Guide to the ACT Matrix: A Step-by-Step Approach to Using the ACT Matrix Model in Clinical Practice  (Dr Kevin L. Polk , Benjamin Schoendorff , et al. | 28 Jul 2016)
  • ACT made simple, 2nd edition (Dr Russ Harris, 2019)

Library and computing facilities

As a student on this course you are entitled to join and use the University’s library and computing facilities. Find out more about using these facilities.

Accessibility

Our aim is access for all. We aim to provide a confidential advice and support service for any student with a long term medical condition, disability or specific learning difficulty. We are able to offer one-to-one advice about disability, pre-enrolment visits, liaison with tutors and co-ordinating lecturers, material in alternative formats, arrangements for accessible courses, assessment arrangements, loan equipment and dyslexia screening.