Presenter: Michael May, MA, LPCC-S

When: Friday, November 15, 2024 from 9am-5pm

Where: Mandala House, 633 Baxter Ave, Louisville, KY 40204

Description:The therapeutic relationship has consistently been identified as an important (at times, even the most important) variable determining the success of psychotherapy across diagnostic labels, contexts, treatment modalities, and patients. However, in spite of its importance, conceptualizations of the therapeutic relationship rarely offer clear and direct action implications for the clinician. Within this full-day workshop, participants will have the opportunity to dive even deeper into the therapeutic alliance through the lens of Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT). Building upon a foundational knowledge of the ACT Psychological Flexibility Processes, participants will explore a conceptualization of the therapeutic alliance that is practical, directly observable, and offers real action implications for the moment-to-moment interaction with their clients. Through case examples, experiential exercises and role-plays, participants will learn how to re-center the therapeutic relationship through an ACT lens. This lens is intended to promote curiosity, awareness, sensitivity, and response flexibility for clinicians applying psychotherapeutic and systems theories/techniques in their work with individuals, couples, and families. It is recommended that participants have at least a basic understanding of Psychological Flexibility and ACT prior to attending this workshop.

STUDENTS: Active Student ID required at check-in, use code ACT1STU at checkout.

Presenter: Michael May, MA, LPCC-S

When: Friday, December 6, 2024 from 9am-5pm

Where: Live Interactive Webinar

Description: This full-day workshop is the third and final of a series of Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) workshops aimed at increasing clinicians’ flexibility and sensitivity in applying ACT. As a contextual, systemic, and transdiagnostic approach, its effectiveness hinges on the ability of the clinician to be present, connected, and responsive to their client’s unfolding behavior within the moment of the therapeutic relationships, as well as their own! This requires practice. The opportunity to allow one’s direct experience to be shaped by the specific particularities of the client with whom the clinician interacts in the moment. This workshop is aimed at providing ample opportunities to allow the proficient ACT clinician to move to fluency: creativity, spontaneity, sensitivity, and responsivity. Through structured targeted experiential exercises, as well as structured role-playing/real-playing and trainer feedback, ACT clinicians will have the opportunity to engage with commonly occurring difficult clinical presentations including: client “resistance”, lack of “motivation”, and excessive/ineffective “problem-solving.” Knowing ACT by doing ACT. Participation in this workshop assumes at least an intermediate proficiency in applying ACT as foundational basics will not be reviewed. 

STUDENTS: Active Student ID required at check-in, use code ACT1STU at checkout.

Presenter: Michael May, MA, LPCC-S

When: Friday, December 20, 2024 from 9am-5pm

Where: Mandala House, 633 Baxter Ave, Louisville, KY 40204

Description: This full-day workshop is the third and final of a series of Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) workshops aimed at increasing clinicians’ flexibility and sensitivity in applying ACT. As a contextual, systemic, and transdiagnostic approach, its effectiveness hinges on the ability of the clinician to be present, connected, and responsive to their client’s unfolding behavior within the moment of the therapeutic relationships, as well as their own! This requires practice. The opportunity to allow one’s direct experience to be shaped by the specific particularities of the client with whom the clinician interacts in the moment. This workshop is aimed at providing ample opportunities to allow the proficient ACT clinician to move to fluency: creativity, spontaneity, sensitivity, and responsivity. Through structured targeted experiential exercises, as well as structured role-playing/real-playing and trainer feedback, ACT clinicians will have the opportunity to engage with commonly occurring difficult clinical presentations including: client “resistance”, lack of “motivation”, and excessive/ineffective “problem-solving.” Knowing ACT by doing ACT. Participation in this workshop assumes at least an intermediate proficiency in applying ACT as foundational basics will not be reviewed. 

STUDENTS: Active Student ID required at check-in, use code ACT1STU at checkout.