Utah Psychological Association presents:

Moving Through Swamps: Didactics and Experiences in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Friday, March 24, 2017

Presentation Summary:

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a behavior analytic approach to psychotherapy rooted in a functional contextual philosophy of science and based on Relational Frame Theory (RFT), a post-Skinnerian account of human language and cognition. From this perspective psychological symptoms and difficulties in living are seen as arising from or as exacerbated by ordinary learning processes, and attempts to change or control private events like difficult thoughts and emotions are seen as counter-productive. Rather, ACT therapists seek to help clients identify and alter the function and context of difficult thoughts and feelings, rather than the form of such private events. The primary goal of ACT is increased psychological flexibility: to increase clients’ ability to make contact with the present moment (i.e., current contingencies, both internal and external) and to change behaviors or persist in behavior when doing so facilitates living consistently with a freely chosen, valued direction. ACT is an evidence-based psychotherapy, with strong research support for treating chronic pain and moderate research support for treating depression, anxiety, OCD, and psychosis. ACT has also been shown to alleviate therapist burn-out. This workshop is designed for those at the beginner to intermediate level and will use didactic and experiential methods to illustrate functional assessment, the therapeutic stance, and the six core processes of ACT and their application to the treatment of human suffering. This best way to learn ACT is to do ACT and, hence, this will be hands-on training which will require some level of participation from all attending as we will be actively practicing skills.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn the basics of ACT underpinnings: introduction to functional contextualism and relational frame theory
• Learn the importance of and practice the ACT therapeutic stance
• Learn to use functional assessment in case conceptualization
• Identify the six core processes of ACT and how they work to increase psychological flexibility
• Practice applications of the core processes

About the Speaker: Cicely C. Taravella, Ph.D.

Cicely C. Taravella, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist with 11 years of ACT training and experience. She completed her graduate training under Dr. Amy Murrell, ACBS Fellow, Peer-reviewed ACT Trainer, at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas. Her dissertation proposed a novel approach to measuring valuing behavior from an ACT perspective, and she maintains a particular interest in valuing from an ACT perspective. Dr. Taravella has given presentations on ACT-related topics at conferences, and she has led or co-led 7 didactic and experiential ACT trainings ranging in length from 1.5 hours to 2.5 days. She has conducted an ACT peer supervision group for psychologists and LCSWs, and for the last 4.5 years she has been providing supervision in ACT for psychology interns. Dr. Taravella is currently a Staff Psychologist at the George E. Wahlen Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City Health Care System and couldn’t be happier to be living here in Utah.

Rates and Payment Information:

Early Bird Registration:

UPA Member Early Bird: $125
Non Member Early Bird: $225

Early Bird Registration expires one week prior to the event.

Regular Registration:

UPA Member: $150
Non Member: $250
UPA Student Member: $15
Student Non Member: $45

Register online at www.utpsych.org

To pay by phone, please contact UPA Executive Director Teresa Bruce at 801.410.0337

Make checks payable to Utah Psychological Association.

Day of event:
Registration begins at 8:30 am
Event starts at 9:00 am

Cancelations with full refund accepted one week prior to the event.

Not a member of UPA? Please consider joining. UPA has historically helped define the role of psychology in Utah and continues to play a strong role in making sure that psychologist have a voice in State legislation, licensing changes, and scope of practice. There are some very real challenges over the next several years that will require the support of as many psychologists as possible. Please visit www.utpsych.org or call (801) 410-0337 to join.