Schedule
This schedule is still a concept and work in progress. The final schedule will be published in time for the 2027 ACT Bootcamp.
Day 1
June, 2027 | Day 1, Monday
General Session
8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
6.5 CE Hours
General Session
8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
6.5 CE Hours
Introduction to ACT and the Extended Psychological Flexibility Model | Miranda Morris, Ph.D.
During Day 1 you will learn the basics of the ACT model. You will learn about why functional contextualism (the philosophy of science that underlies ACT) matters in ACT work, and you will establish a basic understanding of relational frame theory (RFT— the theory of language that underlies ACT) and how it provides a foundation for ACT.
You will learn how psychological inflexibility is at the heart of human suffering. Enhancing psychological flexibility has been shown in hundreds of studies to improve therapeutic outcomes across many different conditions and in many different areas of human endeavor. Experiential exercises will bring these concepts to life and make them more concrete.
By the end of the day, you will have a basic set of skills in the expanded psychological flexibility model that underlies process-based ACT with its six core processes and their social or bodily extensions. An expanded psychological flexibility model includes a flexible sense of self; cognitive flexibility; emotional flexibility; flexible attention to the now; values and chosen purpose; and the behavioral flexibility to establish values-based habit.
All of these processes are then vitalized and extended to relationships, groups,and culture; and to your own body. Through experiential exercises you will learn how to develop these processes through a virtuous cycle of trying new things, learning what works best, and retaining those ways of being and doing that best foster your needs and values in a given situation.
Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Introduction to ACT
Trainer: Miranda Morris, Ph.D.
- Describe the six processes that underlie psychological flexibility/inflexibility.
- Describe the importance of “context” in understanding client difficulties
- Explain what is meant by “workability”
- Identify and describe at least 2 in-session exercises that are designed to promote psychological flexibility.
- Describe and demonstrate how acceptance, defusion and other forms of cognitive and emotional flexibility work together in supporting openness to experience.
- Describe and demonstrate how flexible attention to the now, and a perspective-taking sense of self (“self-as-context”) assist in establishing awareness
- Describe and demonstrate how values and committed action (the creation of values-based habits) support meaningful living
Evening Session (Optional)
4:45 p.m.-6:45 p.m.
2 CE Hours
Evening Session (Optional)
4:45 p.m.-6:45 p.m.
2 CE Hours
Flexible Implementation of ACT | Drs. Miranda Morris, and Robyn D. Walser
This event will involve demonstrated real plays / role plays followed by interactive questions and answers. As modeling is one of the best forms of learning, clinicians will get a chance to see the experts apply the ACT model with real problems. After the real play you will get a behind the scenes look at what the therapist was targeting, unpack the processes applied, and ask questions so that you can adapt the skills to your clinical practice.
In these case demonstrations, highly experienced ACT trainers will work with the same person, applying the psychological flexibility model to the same case, but in different ways. After the demonstrations, the participants will be able to discuss how these methods landed with the client and will be able to dive into the trainers’ thinking, moment by moment.
The pedagogical purpose of this exercise is for attendees to see that there can be great flexibility in applying this model appropriately so as to assure attendees that all of them can learn to do so in a way that fits their particular personality, working style, setting, population, and scope of practice. The psychological flexibility model that underlies ACT was designed from the beginning to have that breath, and research has shown that it does.
Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Evening Session: Flexible Implementation of ACT
Trainers: Miranda Morris, Ph.D.; Robyn D. Walser, Ph.D.
- Identify ways to use core psychological flexibility processes to focus on interpersonal connection and being bold in therapy
- Identify ways to use core psychological flexibility processes to foster creative hopelessness.
- Demonstrate the flexible use of multiple core processes in a single episode of contact with a client
7:00 a.m.-8:00 a.m.
Check-in*
8:00 a.m-8:15 a.m.
Welcoming, Orientation, and Creating Collective Values to Support Learning
8:15 a.m.-9:45 a.m.
How to Think Functionally and How Language Changes Everything
9:45 a.m.-10:00 a.m.
Morning Break*
10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Introduction to ACT and the Six Core Processes: Open
12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m.
Lunch Break*
1:30 p.m.-2:45 p.m.
ACT and the Six Core Processes: Aware
2:45 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
Afternoon Break*
3:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
ACT and the Six Core Processes: Engaged
4:30 p.m.-4:45 p.m.
Late Afternoon Break* (for those staying for optional evening discussion)*
4:45 p.m.-6:45 p.m.
Optional Evening Session: Flexible Implementation of ACT
*Not available for CE
Day 2
June, 2027 | Day 2, Tuesday
General Session
8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
6.5 CE Hours
General Session
8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
6.5 CE Hours
ACT Model and Methods | Robyn D. Walser, PhD
The concepts learned in Day 1 will begin to take shape based on a more experiential learning process in Day 2. Dr. Walser will guide you through experiential exercises as well as give you key takeaways and skills you can use to enhance your practice. She will focus primarily on how ACT’s expanded psychological flexibility model can be socially extended to vitalize the therapeutic relationship, enhance compassion, and shape the broadening and building agenda by using the relationship as a vehicle for change.
The goal is to begin to experience the space within which ACT work is done through experiential learning using examples of ACT processes that can be implemented with various clients and presentations. The space within which ACT is done will empower your ability to be creative and use the skills you learn in Boot Camp, integrating ACT into your practice more effectively when you return to your therapy setting.
Evening Session (Optional)
4:45 p.m.-6:45 p.m.
2 CE Hours
Evening Session (Optional)
4:45 p.m.-6:45 p.m.
2 CE Hours
Clinical Examples and Case Consultation | Drs. Robyn D. Walser and Steven C. Hayes
In this evening session the trainers will provide demonstrations of the use of core ACT principles in guiding case conceptualization and intervention. The demonstrations will involve real-life problems presented by workshop participants. Dr. Hayes will demonstrate how rapidly it is possible to move through an ACT space while maintaining a process focus. Following these real-plays, Drs. Walser and Hayes will answer audience questions related to the material taught during the day’s session as well as new issues raised by the demonstrations.
7:00 a.m.-8:00 a.m.
Check-in*
8:00 a.m-9:45 a.m.
Expanding and Integrating the ACT Core Processes
9:45 a.m.-10:00 a.m.
Morning Break*
10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Expanding and Integrating the ACT Core Processes Continued
12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m.
Lunch Break*
1:30 p.m.-2:45 p.m.
The ACT Therapeutic Stance and Essential Characteristics of the Therapeutic Relationship
2:45 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
Afternoon Break*
3:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
Growing Your Therapeutic Fluency Inside of Social Relationships: ACT Alliance as Vehicle for Change
4:30 p.m.-4:45 p.m.
Later Afternoon Break* (for those staying for the optional evening discussion)
4:45 p.m.-6:45 p.m.
Evening Session: Clinical Examples and Case Consultation
*Not available for CE
Day 3
June, 2027 | Day 3, Wednesday
General Session
8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
6.5 CE Hours
General Session
8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
6.5 CE Hours
ACT Skills-Building Intensive | Steven C. Hayes, PhD
Now that participants know the basics of the model, and have a feel for the space, we are going to go deeper into the skills that are involved in doing ACT. This day will involve mostly direct learning methods with round after round of clinical skills-building exercises and feedback. It is designed to help enhance your fluidity with using the extended psychological flexibility model and to provide you with a deeper understanding of ACT as well as specific tools and techniques you can use in your practice to enhance clinical outcomes.
The EEMM model of psychological flexibility will be shown as a natural extension of Days 1 and 2. You will learn how to read flexibility processes in flight and how to turn in any direction at any time within the model and to still do good work.
You will learn more about how to do individual functional analysis and to choose optimal treatment targets fitted to the individual; how to scale the flexibility model socially and physically and how to use it to understand and optimize the therapeutic relationship.
You will practice how to use every flexibility process in your moment-to-moment interactions with clients, even when they throw unexpected “curve balls” in session. You will consider how to incorporate other methods and processes into your ACT work without creating client confusion.
The end goal of this day is to give you the tool you need for your clients to become your teachers, polishing your ACT skills based on reliable short-term feedback that they cannot help but display. Once there, you can target flexibility processes, from flexibility processes, with flexibility processes confident that even methods you have developed in the moment are likely to land well and lead to client gains over the long term.
Evening Session (Optional)
4:45 p.m.-6:45 p.m.
2 CE Hours
Evening Session (Optional)
4:45 p.m.-6:45 p.m.
2 CE Hours
Contextual Behavioral Science and the DSM
As psychiatry considers the future of diagnostic classification, opportunities are emerging to integrate traditional nosology with rapidly advancing contextual and idiographic approaches. In this panel discussion—moderated by Simon Rego, PsyD—two leading voices will explore how the next iterations of the DSM might evolve to better serve clinicians, researchers, and patients. Jonathan Alpert, MD PhD will discuss the work of the American Psychiatric Association’s Future of the DSM Steering Committee and emerging priorities for DSM-6 and beyond. Steven Hayes, PhD will offer a complementary perspective on the role of idiographic, person-centered data in understanding suffering and guiding treatment, and how such approaches may challenge and enrich categorical diagnostic systems. The session will feature brief remarks from each panelist, a moderated dialogue examining points of convergence and productive tension between their perspectives, and an extended audience Q&A.
7:00 a.m.-8:00 a.m.
Check-in*
8:00 a.m-9:45 a.m.
Expanding and Integrating the ACT Core Processes
9:45 a.m.-10:00 a.m.
Morning Break*
10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Expanding and Integrating the ACT Core Processes Continued
12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m.
Lunch Break*
1:30 p.m.-2:45 p.m.
The ACT Therapeutic Stance and Essential Characteristics of the Therapeutic Relationship
2:45 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
Afternoon Break*
3:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
Growing Your Therapeutic Fluency Inside of Social Relationships: ACT Alliance as Vehicle for Change
4:30 p.m.-4:45 p.m.
Later Afternoon Break* (for those staying for the optional evening discussion)
4:45 p.m.-6:45 p.m.
Evening Session: Clinical Examples and Case Consultation
*Not available for CE
Day 4
June, 2027 | Day 4, Thursday
General Session
8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
6.5 CE Hours
General Session
8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
6.5 CE Hours
ACT Skills-Building Intensive | Steven C. Hayes, PhD
Now that participants know the basics of the model, and have a feel for the space, we are going to go deeper into the skills that are involved in doing ACT. This day will involve mostly direct learning methods with round after round of clinical skills-building exercises and feedback. It is designed to help enhance your fluidity with using the extended psychological flexibility model and to provide you with a deeper understanding of ACT as well as specific tools and techniques you can use in your practice to enhance clinical outcomes.
The EEMM model of psychological flexibility will be shown as a natural extension of Days 1 and 2. You will learn how to read flexibility processes in flight and how to turn in any direction at any time within the model and to still do good work.
You will learn more about how to do individual functional analysis and to choose optimal treatment targets fitted to the individual; how to scale the flexibility model socially and physically and how to use it to understand and optimize the therapeutic relationship.
You will practice how to use every flexibility process in your moment-to-moment interactions with clients, even when they throw unexpected “curve balls” in session. You will consider how to incorporate other methods and processes into your ACT work without creating client confusion.
The end goal of this day is to give you the tool you need for your clients to become your teachers, polishing your ACT skills based on reliable short-term feedback that they cannot help but display. Once there, you can target flexibility processes, from flexibility processes, with flexibility processes confident that even methods you have developed in the moment are likely to land well and lead to client gains over the long term.
Evening Session (Optional)
4:45 p.m.-6:45 p.m.
2 CE Hours
Evening Session (Optional)
4:45 p.m.-6:45 p.m.
2 CE Hours
Contextual Behavioral Science and the DSM
As psychiatry considers the future of diagnostic classification, opportunities are emerging to integrate traditional nosology with rapidly advancing contextual and idiographic approaches. In this panel discussion—moderated by Simon Rego, PsyD—two leading voices will explore how the next iterations of the DSM might evolve to better serve clinicians, researchers, and patients. Jonathan Alpert, MD PhD will discuss the work of the American Psychiatric Association’s Future of the DSM Steering Committee and emerging priorities for DSM-6 and beyond. Steven Hayes, PhD will offer a complementary perspective on the role of idiographic, person-centered data in understanding suffering and guiding treatment, and how such approaches may challenge and enrich categorical diagnostic systems. The session will feature brief remarks from each panelist, a moderated dialogue examining points of convergence and productive tension between their perspectives, and an extended audience Q&A.
7:00 a.m.-8:00 a.m.
Check-in*
8:00 a.m-9:45 a.m.
Expanding and Integrating the ACT Core Processes
9:45 a.m.-10:00 a.m.
Morning Break*
10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Expanding and Integrating the ACT Core Processes Continued
12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m.
Lunch Break*
1:30 p.m.-2:45 p.m.
The ACT Therapeutic Stance and Essential Characteristics of the Therapeutic Relationship
2:45 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
Afternoon Break*
3:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
Growing Your Therapeutic Fluency Inside of Social Relationships: ACT Alliance as Vehicle for Change
4:30 p.m.-4:45 p.m.
Later Afternoon Break* (for those staying for the optional evening discussion)
4:45 p.m.-6:45 p.m.
Evening Session: Clinical Examples and Case Consultation
*Not available for CE
