The energy in the building was evident as over 250 attendees gathered at Cecil Sharp House in London to join us for our two-day Trauma-focused ACT (T-FACT) workshop, led by none other than Dr Russ Harris. With his reputation as a world-leading ACT trainer and best-selling author of The Happiness Trap, it was no surprise that practitioners were eager to hear direct from Russ about how to deepen their skills during trauma-focused work.
The workshop promised a hands-on, integrative approach to using ACT for healing trauma, and it delivered that and so much more! The excitement was clear from the outset as we sold out of books by the first morning. Many attendees also grabbed our popular ACT values cards, the perfect tool for sparking meaningful conversations with clients.
After a short introduction from our very own Dr Joe Oliver, we were off. Across the two days, participants learnt cutting-edge approaches to help their clients navigate hyperarousal, dissociation, and self-compassion. From grounding to flexible exposure techniques, the mix of mini-lectures, experiential exercises, videos and case studies ensured the learning was practical and immediately applicable. Russ’s engaging teaching style and real-world examples made it clear why ACT is considered such a powerful somatic therapy for trauma. It felt like everyone left feeling enthused and more confident in addressing the full spectrum of trauma-related challenges.
One of the highlights of the event? Russ himself! It felt like he was the rock star of the ACT world, with a queue of eager fans waiting at the end of the sessions for photos and book signings. Practitioners from a variety of professional backgrounds including psychologists, coaches, therapists, and more, left buzzing with inspiration and armed with new tools, strategies, and techniques to apply in their trauma work.
This event wasn’t just about learning; it was about community too. It was great to have the opportunity to network, share experiences, and learn from one another. The energy in the room reflected a genuine commitment to helping clients heal and grow, using the ACT model in deeply compassionate and innovative ways.
We hope that if you attended you left feeling inspired and equipped for the work ahead. Thanks to Russ Harris and all the attendees for making it such a memorable experience – you truly brought ACT to life!
Don’t worry if you weren’t able to attend this time, Russ is back online with us later this year for ACT as a brief intervention, helping practitioners deliver effective therapy within the ever-shorter timeframes of modern clinical practice. Using the principles of FACT (focused acceptance and commitment therapy),Russ will show you how to deliver powerful, values-based interventions in sessions as short as 20 or 30 minutes, even creating meaningful outcomes in as few as 1 to 6 sessions.
Wish you were there live? Well, we are currently planning our next in-person training with Russ for 2027. Make sure you are signed up to our newsletter to get the latest news, workshop launches and free resources from us and our ACT community partners.