ACT as a brief intervention
Using FACT (focused acceptance & commitment therapy) for brief, impactful interventions
Are you looking to deliver effective therapy within the ever-tightening timeframes of modern clinical practice? With rising demand for short-term interventions, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) continues to prove itself as exceptionally adaptable to shorter formats. This four session masterclass, led by expert ACT trainer Russ Harris, will introduce you to focused acceptance and commitment therapy (FACT). FACT enables practitioners to deliver powerful, values-based interventions in sessions as brief as 20–30 minutes, often achieving meaningful outcomes in as few as one to six sessions. This highly practical training will help you build confidence in applying ACT principles quickly and effectively, ensuring that even the shortest encounters with clients can lead to genuine behaviour change and psychological flexibility.
Background to the workshop
The need for brief, effective therapy has never been more urgent. Across the world, therapists are being asked to achieve meaningful results in fewer sessions, whether due to limited resources, client accessibility, or the demands of time-limited settings. FACT, a streamlined version of ACT pioneered by Kirk Strosahl and Patricia Robinson, has been embraced internationally for its ability to deliver significant results in a short timeframe. FACT provides a structured, efficient way to meet these challenges. Retaining the core processes and spirit of ACT, FACT translates them into brief, targeted interventions that are both clinically effective and practically sustainable. Whether you work in primary care, short inpatient stays, counselling services, or crisis intervention, understanding how to apply ACT in a brief format is a skill that can transform your practice.
What you will gain from this workshop
During this intermediate masterclass will equip you with the skills and confidence to:
- Understand and apply the principles of FACT to optimise client outcomes in brief therapy settings
- Use focused interviewing techniques that enhance therapeutic interactions
- Conduct rapid case formulations and target treatment effectively
- Deliver impactful ACT interventions in as little as 5 to 10 minutes
- Observe and practise specific clinical techniques through live demonstrations, roleplays, and video examples
- Explore the latest research on the effectiveness of brief therapy and how to incorporate these findings into your work
By the end of the workshop, you’ll have a toolkit of practical strategies to apply FACT to a wide range of clinical issues, including depression, anxiety, addictions, medical issues, and stress.
About this workshop
This highly interactive workshop offers a dynamic mix of teaching methods to enhance your learning experience. Russ bases his training on three principles: simplicity, clarity, and having fun with his ACT training workshops being both powerful yet cost-effective. You’ll engage in mini-lectures, live demonstrations, roleplays, and experiential exercises, ensuring you not only understand the principles of FACT but also feel confident applying them in your practice. Videos of real therapy sessions will provide further insight into how FACT unfolds in action, and you’ll have ample opportunity to practise and refine your skills in a supportive environment.
Who will benefit from this workshop?
This workshop is designed for professionals who already have a foundational knowledge of ACT and are looking to expand their skillset into brief therapy approaches. It’s ideal for those working in time-sensitive environments such as primary care, short-term counselling, crisis intervention, or similar settings. Suitable participants include therapists, counsellors, psychologists, psychiatrists, coaches, social workers, physicians, nurses, occupational therapists, youth workers, and other health professionals, as well as students and researchers in these fields.
This is an intermediate-level workshop. Attendees should already have a foundational understanding of ACT. If you are new to ACT, we recommend exploring our introductory training, ACT Essentials.
Before attending, participants should have a beginners-level understanding of ACT, achieved through:
- Attending an introductory-level 2-day ACT workshop (with any trainer)
- Thoroughly reading a beginners ACT textbook, such as Russ’ ACT Made Simple or ACT: 100 Key Points & Techniques
This workshop offers a unique opportunity to deepen your practice and extend your impact, even with limited time and resources.
Feedback from Russ’ previous workshops
So well put together. Russ is just a fantastic facilitator for ACT processes. Instils confidence in clinical approach and self compassion as a therapist and a human being!
-Karen Hogg Clinical Psychologist
Group booking discounts
Contextual Consulting offer discounts for groups of people from the same organisation e.g. an NHS Trust that does not have a contract arrangement with us.
Please email us here to arrange a group discount or find out more about our CPD contracts here.
After this workshop you will be able to:
1. Conduct a focused ACT style interview that identifies key client behaviours, avoidance patterns, and values within ten minutes.
2. Produce a rapid ACT case formulation that guides a brief intervention plan, using information gathered in the first few minutes of a session.
3. Deliver a short ACT intervention, five to ten minutes, that targets a specific stuck behaviour with a values linked strategy.
4. Use in the moment defusion, acceptance, and present moment techniques that fit naturally within a brief clinical conversation.
5. Apply FACT focused questioning methods to shift a client from problem talk toward meaningful behaviour change.
6. Demonstrate the ability to link impulsive or dysregulated behaviours to values and choice points during roleplay work.
7. Give and receive structured feedback during live practice to refine delivery of brief interventions.
8. Adapt ACT processes to time pressured settings such as primary care or crisis work, choosing interventions that fit the limits of a single brief session.
Continuing education credits are available both for attending the live workshop and for completing the workshop by viewing the recording of the live event.
APA psychologists: This program is sponsored by Contextual Consulting and is approved for 12 CE credits for psychologists. Contextual Consulting is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Contextual Consulting maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Nationally certified counselors: This workshop is available for 12 credit hours. Contextual Consulting Ltd. has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7578.
To find out more, including attendance requirements and how to access your certificate, go to our continuing education information page.
If you have disability and require adjustments or accommodation, please email us at admin@contextualconsulting.co.uk to discuss your needs and we will do our best to help you.
Booking cancellation
The registration fee will be refunded minus a administration charge if cancellations are received at least two weeks before the workshop date.
Cancellations within two weeks of the event date are charged the full registration fee, other than in exceptional circumstances that can be verified.
Event cancellation
In the event of cancellation of the course outside of our control we will not be held accountable for travel and/or accommodation costs incurred. However, the workshop fees will be refunded.
All workshops will be subject to minimum delegate numbers being met; in the event that a workshop should be cancelled delegates will be given no less than 2 months’ notice.
Replacing delegates
If a delegate is unable to attend and a replacement is nominated there may be a charge depending on the individual circumstances, this will be advised at the time. Please contact the us to request a replacement of delegates at least a week before the workshop date.
Contextual Consulting is committed to the identification and resolution of potential conflicts of interest in the planning, promotion, delivery, and evaluation of continuing education. Potential conflicts of interest occur when an individual assumes a professional role in the planning, promotion, delivery, or evaluation of continuing education where personal, professional, legal, financial, or other interests could reasonably be expected to impair their objectivity, competence, or effectiveness.
There was no commercial support for this event. None of the planners or presenters for this educational activity have relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.