Description
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is a relatively new and promising evidence-based approach to the treatment of severe mental illness such schizophrenia-spectrum disorders and major depression with psychotic features. While medications have traditionally been the treatment of choice for persons with symptoms of psychosis, they are frequently not enough. ACT can be integrated or used adjunctively with the interdisciplinary treatment modes commonly used in inpatient and outpatient settings. ACT for psychosis does not directly target reduction of psychosis symptoms; rather, ACT aims to improve the ability to cope with psychotic symptoms and to reduce distress associated with psychotic symptoms. ACT seeks to increase patients’ willingness to respond to internal events with an accepting, non-judgmental awareness. This form of intervention can be particularly helpful when patients are struggling with internal events that are not amenable to control, or when persisting with efforts to control them leads to problems in everyday life. ACT encourages values- based living with the goals of helping patients become less entangled with their symptoms and more focused on effective behavior. In this webinar, we will review the principles of and evidence supporting ACT, learn how to utilize ACT approaches with clients with avoidance problems, and demonstrate clinical techniques for applying ACT.
Learning Objectives
- Summarize the current state of evidence for ACT treatment with psychosis.
- Describe how to utilize acceptance approaches with avoidance problems to strengthen a client’s willingness to have distressing thoughts and emotions.
- Demonstrate clinical techniques for increasing psychological flexibility in clients using ACT.
Outline
- Introduce principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Overview of research and evidence supporting ACT
- Explain how to apply ACT to psychosis
- Introduce clinical techniques of ACT
- Presenter Q&A
Target Audience
Counselor, Psychologist, Social Worker
Instructional Level
Introductory
Estimated Time to Complete
Estimated Duration: 1.0 hours
Program Start Date: July 30, 2025
Program End Date: July 30, 2028
Ongoing Interdisciplinary Discussion Board
After completing the course, engage with colleagues in the mental health field through the Webinar Roundtable Topics discussion board. This is an easy way to network and share ideas with other clinicians who participate in this webinar. Access through the discussion tab.
How to Earn Credit
Participants who wish to earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, CE credit for psychologists, or a certificate of participation may do so by viewing the live presentation and completing the evaluation. Participants claiming CE credit for psychologists must have full attendance (60 minutes) to claim credit. After evaluating the program, course participants will be provided with an opportunity to claim hours of participation and print an official CME certificate (physicians), CE certificate (psychologists), or certificate of participation (other disciplines) showing the event date and hours earned.
Continuing Education Credit
Physicians
The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The APA designates this live event for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Psychologists
The American Psychiatric Association is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. American Psychiatric Association maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Social Workers
American Psychiatric Association, provider #1743, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. American Psychiatric Association maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 05/18/2020-05/18/21. Social workers completing this course receive 1.0 (clinical) continuing education credits.
Faculty and Planner Disclosures
Instructors
Dr. Jennifer L. Patterson is a Clinical Psychologist and is an expert in training professionals in the practice and philosophy of compassionate and mindful living. Dr. Patterson is a public speaker who leads workshops across the US and internationally. Dr. Patterson is the clinical director of the MidAmerican Psychological Institute (MPI) in Joliet, Illinois and established MPI's Clinic for Compulsive Behaviors which aims to use evidenced-based treatment for behaviors like OCD, hoarding, self-injury, and emotional eating. At MPI she supervises pre-doctoral candidates using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP). Dr. Patterson reports financial relationships with commercial interests.
Planners
- Teri Brister, PhD, LPC, National Alliance on Mental Illness. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
- Stacy Coyle, PsyD, The Ross Center. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
- Tristan Gorrindo, MD, American Psychiatric Association. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
- Sherin Khan, LCSW, Thresholds. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
Accessibility for Participants with Disabilities
The American Psychiatric Association is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website to people with disabilities. Please contact the American Psychiatric Association at 202-559-3900, if you require assistance seven (7) business days prior to the start of a live webinar.
Technical Requirements
This internet-based CME activity is best experienced using any of the following:
- The latest and 2nd latest public versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari
- Internet Explorer 11+
This Web site requires that JavaScript and session cookies be enabled. Certain activities may require additional software to view multimedia, presentation, or printable versions of the content. These activities will be marked as such and will provide links to the required software. That software may be: Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Windows Media Player.
Optimal System Configuration:
- Browser: Google Chrome (latest and 2nd latest version), Safari (latest and 2nd latest version), Internet Explorer 11.0+, Firefox (latest and 2nd latest version), or Microsoft Edge (latest and 2nd latest version)
- Operating System: Windows versions 8.1+, Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) +, Android (latest and 2nd latest version), or iOS/iPad OS (latest and 2nd latest version)
- Internet Connection: 1 Mbps or higher
Minimum Requirements:
- Windows PC: Windows 8.1 or higher; 1 GB (for 32-bit)/2 GB (for 64-bit) or higher RAM; Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
- Macintosh: Mac OS X 10.5 or higher with latest updates installed; Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor; 512 MB or higher RAM; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
For assistance: Contact educme@psych.org for questions about this activity | Contact support@smicaladviser.org for technical assistance