ACT Training Series: Working Through the Hexaflex to Make Powerful Therapy Moves with Dr. Aprilia West

It’s so natural to get stuck when working with clients who have unhelpful, rigid behavior patterns. But it’s not as obvious how to disrupt psychological inflexibility in a brief therapy session. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy offers a model and tools to help your clients act more intentionally in values-consistent, contextually adaptive ways.

With over 1000 RCTs conducted, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) is widely recognized as a powerful evidence-based treatment for reducing suffering for clients in clinical settings— regardless of diagnosis. This is because ACT targets core process drivers that are known to lead to higher levels of psychological flexibility. When clients increase their psychological flexibility they gain the mindfulness, mindset, and meaning to reduce unnecessary suffering and create more meaningful lives.

This 6-part series with ACT trainer, expert, and author, Dr. Aprilia West, will cover one psychological flexibility process at a time over a period of six months. This training will be didactic and experiential to enhance learning.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Identify core underlying processes related to mental health and wellbeing
2. Recite the 6 psychological flexibility processes in the ACT hexaflex model
3. Distinguish among the 6 flexibility processes in the ACT hexaflex model 
4. Distinguish ACT from second-wave cognitive behavioral therapies
5. Conceptualize treatment goals inside the process-based driver of experiential avoidance
6. Apply “mindfulness” skills to address experiential avoidance and past and/or future focus
7. Apply “mindset” skills to address over identification with self as content and cognitive fusion
8. Apply “meaning” skills to facilitate purposeful action in context
9. Utilize metaphors and experiential exercises to enhance the learning, retention and recall of new ACT skills
10. Conduct a functional analysis in the context of the client's behavior

TRAINING SCHEDULE

FRIDAYS, 12 PM - 2 PM (PST) 

• Session 1, May 5th, 2023, Introduction to ACT & Hexaflex skill: Present Moment Awareness
• Session 2, June 9th, 2023, Hexaflex skill: Acceptance
• Session 3, July 7th, 2023, Hexaflex skill: Defusion
• Session 4, August 11th, 2023, Hexaflex skill: Self As Context
• Session 5, September 8th, 2023, Hexaflex skill: Values
• Session 6, October 13th, 2023, Hexaflex skill: Committed Action

This training will take place online, via Zoom, with 12 CE Hours Available. Zoom link will be provided in the registration confirmation AND emailed the week of each training session. 

Who Should Attend?

Anyone interested in learning and expanding upon the foundations of ACT while mastering how to make expert-level moves with powerful evidence-based tools to help your clients become more psychologically flexible. Beginner, intermediate, and advanced licensed clinical professionals or students (under supervision) are encouraged to attend!

Cost

• Professionals (w/CE certificate): $350 (Professional VIP ACBS SoCal Members receive 20% off!)
• Students: $175 (Student VIP ACBS SoCal Members receive 50% off!)

ACBS SoCal Membership: Become a professional member for just $40/year or a student member for just $20/year! Learn more about the many benefits of membership and SIGN UP HERE!

Continuing Education (CE) Info

Licensed Psychologists, MFTs, LPCCs, LEPs, and LCSWs* are eligible for 12 CE Hours. This training is worth 12 CE credit hours if attended live, virtually. CEs are awarded contingent upon timely post-event paperwork submission by event organizers.

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.

*As of July 2015 the California Board of Behavioral Sciences has designated approval agencies, such as the American Psychological Association. Providers who have APA approval can offer CE Certificates to BBS Licensees and those CEs can be used for license renewal. No CEUs for BCBAs or Coaches are provided through this training.

About the Trainer

Aprilia West, PsyD, MT, PCC is a psychologist, coach, trainer and author, and developer of the emotion efficacy protocol. She is the author of ACT FOR YOUR BEST LIFE (2023), WHAT YOU FEEL IS NOT ALL THERE IS (2021), and coauthor of the clinician's guide to EMOTION EFFICACY THERAPY (2016). Dr. West has 20+ years of experience working with Fortune 500 companies, U.S. Members of Congress, entertainment industry executives and creatives, tech founders, and global non-profit advocacy campaigns and she trains coaches and therapists worldwide in applying contextual behavioral science in clinical and organizational settings around the world.

Disclosures: Aprilia West, PsyD, MT, PCC will be compensated for this workshop. She does not have any conflicts of interest.

Cancellations and Refunds: We understand that sometimes, things come up!  SoCal ACBS will offer a full refund to registrants who cancel their registration up to one week before the first workshop start date, by April 28th, minus an administrative processing fee of $20. If canceled within one week, no refund will be issued. Please contact us at info@socal-acbs.org to cancel a registration.

Questions? Email ACBS SoCal at info@socal-acbs.org