A guide to the ACT pathway
A free introductory session to support your journey
If you are drawn to the ideas of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) but haven’t been sure where to start or go next, join us for this FREE one-hour session to inspire and inform you as you begin your own ACT training journey.
Often, people starting their ACT journey might feel that their learning is fragmented or unclear, without a clear defined pathway to move along. We often hear questions like:
- How do I know what to focus on next, rather than constantly second guessing myself?
- How do I develop confidence in ACT without feeling like I am doing it alone?
This free online session is an orientation to our ACT training pathway, which has been designed to a support you on your journey from beginner to intermediate ACT practitioner. The session will introduce you to the new pathway programme and show you how it will help you feel confident in making the first steps of your personal ACT journey.
Background to this session
Developing confidence and competence in ACT can be difficult when learning is piecemeal, unpaced, or disconnected from supervision and reflection. Many practitioners attend workshops, read widely, or experiment in practice, yet still feel unsure about progression, readiness, or what really matters to focus on.
The ACT training pathway is our solution to this. It offers a clear, well-structured route that intentionally integrates theory, skills practice, experiential learning, professional development and reflection over time. The pathway is designed not only to support learning, but to strengthen fidelity to the ACT model, helping practitioners develop a coherent and grounded way of working rather than a collection of techniques. By scaffolding learning and supporting reflection in practice, the pathway aims to build genuine confidence and clinical competence, enabling practitioners to work more effectively and maximise their impact with clients.
This session offers a chance to understand that structure, and to reflect on whether it would be supportive for you at this stage of your career.
What you will gain from this session
By the end of the session, you will:

- Have a clearer sense of where you are on your ACT training journey, and what might be most workable to focus on next
- Understand how the ACT training pathway is structured, and why it is designed the way it is
- Be clearer about who the pathway is for, and when it may or may not be the right fit
- Leave with a reflective framework, and a free ebook, My ACT Training Journey, to support your learning and decision making beyond the session
You will also have the opportunity to meet our trainers, Dr Joe Oliver, Dr Kristy Potter, Dr Elisabeth Baker, and Dr Ray Owen. They will share their real ACT journeys, including doubts, missteps, and how they continue to work with uncertainty in their own practice.
About the session
This one-hour session is designed to be interactive, engaging, and experiential. The workshop will be structured around the head, hands, and heart model, offering a balance of reflective discussion and practical exercises. You’ll have the opportunity to ask questions, meet our trainers, and gain hands-on experience of ACT principles in action. Whether you’re considering formal training via the ACT pathway or simply curious about what ACT has to offer, this session will provide you with a solid foundation and a clear sense of direction.
Who this session is for
This session is for psychologists, therapists, counsellors, and other mental health professionals who are curious about ACT, already using ACT ideas, or feeling unsure about how to progress with training in a clearer and more supported way.
You do not need prior ACT training to attend. Whether you decide to pursue formal training now, later, or not at all, the aim is that you leave with more clarity and less confusion.
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 1 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 1 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.
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
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Reflect on and locate their current relationship to ACT learning, including areas of confidence, uncertainty, and fragmentation in their training journey.
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Clarify key elements that support effective ACT learning and development over time, including pacing, reflection, skills practice, and connection with supervision and community.
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Evaluate what forms of support, structure, or flexibility may be most workable for their ongoing ACT learning, given their current context, values, and stage of development.

