ACT for couples
Building connection and flexibility in relationships
Relationships are both a source of immense joy and profound challenges. For therapists working with couples, understanding how to navigate the complexities of interpersonal dynamics is key to promoting connection and meaningful change. This workshop provides a practical, skills-based approach to integrating ACT principles into couples therapy. Designed for those already working with couples or considering this modality, this workshop equips participants with tools to assess and intervene on recurring patterns of disconnection, while fostering psychological flexibility between partners.
Background to the workshop
Couples therapy often brings to light the tension between individual needs and interpersonal connection. Partners may find themselves caught in repetitive cycles of conflict, driven by deeply held needs and survival instincts. These cycles can erode trust and intimacy, leaving couples feeling disconnected and stuck. While ACT has been widely recognised for its effectiveness in individual therapy, its application within couples work has been less explored. However, emerging research and clinical innovations demonstrate that ACT’s principles of psychological flexibility are uniquely suited to addressing the intertwined dynamics of intimate relationships. By extending ACT interpersonally, therapists can offer partners a framework to navigate their differences, respond flexibly to challenges, and reconnect with their shared values.
What you will gain from this workshop
Join Lou Lasprugato, a licensed marriage and family therapist, internationally recognised ACT trainer, and previous chair of the training committee for the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. With decades of experience in psychotherapy, training, and consultation, Lou brings a wealth of expertise and an engaging teaching style that has been praised by clinicians worldwide.
- A fresh perspective on ACT: learn how to extend the ACT model interpersonally, reimagining the Hexaflex to incorporate working with values within the dyad as a central feature.
- Practical tools for couples therapy: gain techniques to conduct functional analytic case conceptualisations, including using the ACT Matrix as a couples intake tool.
- Insight into yearnings: understand how individual and interpersonal yearnings drive behaviour and influence relationship dynamics.
- Skills for breaking conflict cycles: identify and disrupt unworkable interaction patterns that perpetuate disconnection, using a process-based approach.
- Four foundational skills: practise interventions that foster psychological flexibility, attachment-based relating, and relational fulfilment.
- A deeper understanding of diversity: explore how sociocultural factors and survival mechanisms impact couples’ behaviour and their relational context.
- Experiential learning: engage in hands-on exercises to model, evoke, and reinforce behaviours essential for intimate connection.
About this workshop
This 8-hour workshop is designed to be engaging and interactive, blending theory with practice. Participants will learn through a combination of didactic teaching, experiential exercises, live demonstrations, and role-play scenarios. The workshop will guide attendees step-by-step, from understanding the theoretical underpinnings of interpersonal psychological flexibility to applying these principles in practice with couples. The use of the ACT Matrix as a couples intake tool will be demonstrated, and participants will have the opportunity to practise this and other techniques in dyadic and small group settings. The workshop also introduces the surprising but effective use of improvisation to enhance relational skills.
Who will benefit from this workshop?
This workshop is ideal for therapists and psychologists who work, or aspire to work, with couples. It is particularly suited to practitioners familiar with ACT who wish to expand their application of the model into relationship contexts. While prior experience with couples therapy is not required, a foundational understanding of ACT principles will enhance the learning experience. Whether you are an experienced couples therapist or new to this modality, this workshop offers practical tools and insights to deepen your clinical practice.
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 8 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 8 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:
- Extend the ACT core processes interpersonally to address dynamics within couples therapy.
- Conduct a couples therapy intake interview using the ACT Matrix to explore painful private events, shared values, and overt behaviours.
- Formulate a functional analytic case conceptualisation for couples, incorporating yearnings, psychological flexibility, and survival mechanisms.
- Identify and intervene on unworkable interaction patterns using process-based functional assessment techniques.
- Facilitate experiential exercises that enhance psychological flexibility between partners and promote relational connection.
- Practise shaping four foundational behavioural skills to foster meaningful and values-driven change in intimate relationships.