Presented by Michael May, MA, LPCC-S

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.

Learning Objectives:

• Attendees will be able to identify the ways in which Contextualism can aid clinician’s conceptualizations of their clients’ behavior that take into account the complexity of the systems with which they continue to interact.

• Participants will be able to define an ACT-consistent therapeutic relationship in terms of both clinician and client responding that is directly observable.

• Participants will be able to describe the therapeutic relationship in terms of context, responding, and functional relationship within the moment of a therapeutic interaction.

• Participants will be able to describe the characteristic qualities of both aversive and appetitive functional relationships.

• Participants will be able to identify several topographical samples of both aversive and appetitive interaction.

• Participants will learn how to identify and track changes and shifts in the qualities of interaction between clinician and client. 

• Participants will learn how to foster Psychological Flexibility even outside “pre-packaged” ACT metaphors and experiential exercises. 

Approved for 7 Continuing Education Hours by:

Kentucky Board of Social Work

Kentucky Board of Licensed Professional Counselors

Kentucky Board of Examiners of Psychology

*This program is awaiting approval for 7 Continuing Education Hours by the following boards:

• Board of Marriage and Family Therapists (pending)