Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with Young People

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ACT is an empirically supported approach used successfully with people experiencing a range of life challenges including low mood, anxiety, and internal conflict through to mental illness and addiction.

ACT draws on behavioural and mindfulness principles to help people move past self-critical thoughts and painful emotions and move towards committed action and change.

Some of the key content areas Ben will discuss include:

• The ACT model and how to adapt the core principles of ACT to make it resonate with young people.
• Relational Frame Theory: how brains form connections & hold onto those connections tightly even when not helpful.
• Supporting developmental challenges of rangatahi with ACT ideas and normalising the range & extent of teen suffering.
• The importance of Validation, Perspective Taking and Metaphor in the therapeutic process.
• Helping young people let go of their struggle against the Stuff that Sucks (self-critical thoughts and painful emotions)
• Talking about the Stuff that is Here and Now (Mindfulness) in ways that make sense to young people.
• Helping young people identify the Stuff that Matters (Values) and move towards these with committed action.
• The importance of other adults in the therapeutic process to challenge the young person's perceptions of their struggles.
• Helping clients learn from their experiences and active exercises in session, rather than being taught by a counsellor.
• Helping practitioners incorporate ACT into their own experiences to deal with negative perceptions, narrowed focus and discomfort.