Acceptance and commitment therapy with a young person runs on the same processes you use with adults, but what changes is the way into the conversation. If you ask a teenager about their values, draw them the hexaflex or debate their thoughts, you’ll more than likely get a shrug and a long look at the […]
Guest blog from Duncan Gillard and Freddy Jackson Brown Adolescence can be a complex and often confusing time. Finding ways to talk about and clarify what you’re thinking and feeling, and what you want your life to be about, can be hard, as you try to navigate the social world and the world of education […]
Good ACT practitioners know their clients. They notice what resonates, what falls flat, and when a metaphor has landed somewhere useful versus somewhere puzzling. What separates skilled practitioners from newer ones isn’t usually the size of their toolkit, it’s knowing how to use what’s already in it. The metaphors we reach for most often in […]
An expert tip from Dr Chris McCurry, ahead of his workshop ACT for parents Anyone who works with children knows that the real work of therapy rarely happens in the therapy room. It happens in kitchens, cars and bedrooms, in the heat of a Tuesday evening meltdown, long after the session has ended. The person […]
Created in collaboration with Lisa Coyne Helping young children develop psychological flexibility using acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is an exciting yet challenging journey. Clinicians and parents alike might feel unsure about how to translate complex ACT principles into meaningful and practical strategies for children as young as four years old. At the heart of […]
Adolescence is a time of significant growth, challenge, and opportunity with young people often facing difficulties related to identity, relationships, and emotional flexibility, alongside the pressures of modern life. Psychological flexibility models, such as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and the DNA-V model (developed by Louise Hayes and Joseph Ciarrochi) offer nuanced, evidence-based frameworks to […]
10 practical ways to meet young people where they are Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) was designed with adults in mind, but its heart, the development of psychological flexibility, is just as relevant for children and young people. The difference lies not in what we teach, but how we deliver it. Young people tend to […]
Written by Dr Ben Sedley Ahead of our ACT for teens with OCD workshop, Dr Ben Sedley has written us a short piece about how exposure and response prevention (ERP) can work alongside acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to enhance outcomes for clients with OCD. The brave but cautious knight came to a fork in […]
Why we think it resonates When it comes to popular culture phenomena, few franchises have had as much of a long-lasting impact as Pokémon. From video games and trading cards to TV shows and films, Pokémon has captured the attention of people across the globe for decades now. But beyond its entertainment value, Pokémon is […]
When we think about mindfulness, it often conjures up images of serene meditation, peaceful silence, and a complete focus on the present moment. But for busy parents, particularly those navigating the challenges of perinatal mental health, mindfulness can feel like a luxury. How do you carve out time for mindfulness when you’re juggling nappies, sleepless […]
Neurodivergence, which includes autism spectrum condition, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia, and dyspraxia, brings unique strengths. It can also bring its own unique difficulties. Unfortunately, neurodivergent adolescents often face barriers in accessing timely support, impacting their mental health, education, and overall well-being. This was the focus of the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST), […]
The underlying themes everyone is talking about Adolescence as a part of the lifespan is a wild ride; messy, beautiful and often confusing. Netflix’s series Adolescence captures this pivotal life stage with raw honesty, showing the emotional lows of teenage years and the current context of being a teen, at least in the UK. But […]
While the emotional well-being of our youth is acknowledged as a key challenge in modern times, some new statistics are showing the worrying rate that these concerns are affecting wider society. A new report from Deloitte¹ found that 46% of working parents are concerned about their child’s mental health. Even more alarming, 29% of parents […]
Neurodiversity celebration week is a global initiative that seeks to challenge stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding neurological differences. The campaign aims to transform the perception and support of neurodivergent individuals by providing educational institutions and organisations with the chance to acknowledge the numerous talents and advantages that come with being neurodivergent. By encouraging inclusive and equitable […]
The power of acceptance In today’s fast-paced world, stress has become increasingly prevalent among children and adolescents, posing significant risks to their mental and physical well-being. In the quest to combat this rising issue, Binder et al. (2023) turned their attention to acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). In a recent systematic review and meta-analysis titled […]
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