Knowledge hub
ACT for sport
Can ACT be used in sport? Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) can be a useful intervention to support athl ...
Read moreFunctional analysis and the ABC model
What is functional analysis? Functional analysis refers to the process of understanding how thoughts, feelings ...
Read moreGrief and ACT
What is grief? Grief is a deep emotional response to loss, particularly the loss of a loved one however it can ...
Read moreMultiple selves, CFT and ACT
What are ‘multiple selves’? Used in compassion-focused therapy (CFT), the concept of “multiple selve ...
Read moreEmotional efficacy and ACT
What do we mean by emotional efficacy? Emotional efficacy refers to an individual’s capacity to effectively ...
Read moreInternal family systems (IFS) and ACT
What do we mean by internal family systems (IFS)? Internal family systems (IFS) is a form of psychotherapy dev ...
Read moreImposter syndrome and ACT
What is imposter syndrome? Imposter syndrome is a psychological phenomenon where individuals develop a deep do ...
Read morePsychological flexibility
Embracing change for a meaningful life What is psychological flexibility? Psychological flexibility is a power ...
Read moreSEED model of ACT supervision
An overview of SEED The SEED model of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) supervision is a framework creat ...
Read moreSelf-harm and suicidality in young people
Helping with self-harm and suicidality in therapy with young people is a common and challenging task that evok ...
Read moreFocused ACT: a brief and effective behavioural intervention
Introduction In the field of psychology and healthcare, Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (FACT) has e ...
Read moreProcess-based behaviour therapy: an introduction
Process-based Behaviour Therapy (PBBT®) is an exciting new scientifically-based psychotherapy that works by c ...
Read moreACT in the workplace
Recent statistics reveal that a significant proportion of British workers, specifically around one in six indi ...
Read moreThe power of metaphors in ACT: illuminating perspectives and facilitating change
Metaphors have a long-standing tradition in therapeutic interventions, particularly within acceptance and comm ...
Read moreWhat is acceptance and commitment (ACT) therapy?
An overview of ACT Acceptance and commitment therapy (said as one word – ‘ACT’) is, a widely recognised ...
Read moreACT for children and young people
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a form of psychotherapy that has shown effectiveness in treating va ...
Read moreADHD and ACT
What is ADHD? Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects mi ...
Read moreAddiction and ACT
What is addiction? Addiction is a complex condition characterised by compulsive engagement in a particular beh ...
Read moreAnger and ACT
What is anger? Anger is a complex and powerful emotion that is experienced by individuals in response to a ran ...
Read moreAnxiety and ACT
What is anxiety? Anxiety is a complex and multifaceted emotional, physiological and psychological experience. ...
Read moreAutism and ACT
What is autism? Autism (sometimes referred to as autistic spectrum condition or ASC) is a neurodevelopmental c ...
Read morePhobias and ACT
What is a phobia? A phobia is an excessive and unrealistic fear of a specific object, situation, or activity. ...
Read morePsychosis and ACT
What is psychosis? Psychosis is a complex mental health condition characterised by a wide variety of symptoms ...
Read moreOCD and ACT
What is OCD? OCD stands for obsessive compulsive disorder. It is a mental health issue characterised by recurr ...
Read moreSelf-esteem and ACT
What is self-esteem? Self-esteem refers to the overall subjective evaluation or perception that an individual ...
Read moreStress and ACT
What is stress? Stress is a physiological and psychological response to challenging or threatening situations. ...
Read moreThe ACT matrix
What is the ACT matrix? The ACT matrix (Polk, Schoendorff, Webster & Olaz, 2016) is a practical tool that ...
Read moreChronic pain and ACT
What is chronic pain? Chronic pain refers to persistent or long-lasting pain that continues beyond the normal ...
Read moreCreative hopelessness and ACT
What is creative hopelessness? Creative hopelessness is a term used in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) ...
Read moreDepression and ACT
What is depression? Depression is a mental health condition characterised by persistent feelings of sadness, e ...
Read moreMental health and ACT
What is mental health? Mental health refers to a person’s emotional, psychological, and social well-bein ...
Read moreMindfulness and ACT
What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is a practice that involves bringing attention and awareness to the present m ...
Read moreEating disorders and ACT
What is an eating disorder? An eating disorder is a serious mental health condition characterised by abnormal ...
Read moreRFT and ACT
What is relational frame theory? Relational frame theory (RFT) is a psychological framework that seeks to expl ...
Read moreCBT and ACT
What is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)? Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy th ...
Read moreChairwork and ACT
What is chairwork? Chairwork, also known as the “two-chair technique,” is a powerful and dynamic t ...
Read moreProcrastination and ACT
What is procrastination? Procrastination refers to the act of delaying or postponing tasks or activities, ofte ...
Read morePhysical health and ACT
What is physical health? Physical health refers to the overall well-being and functioning of the body. It enco ...
Read moreSleep problems and ACT
What can be defined as a sleep problem? Sleep problems, also known as insomnia, are characterised by difficult ...
Read moreSelf-harm, suicidality and ACT
What is self-harm and suicidality? While self-harm and suicidality can be related, they are distinct concepts: ...
Read morePerfectionism and ACT
What is perfectionism? Perfectionism is a personality trait characterised by setting extremely high standards ...
Read moreNeurodiversity and ACT
What is neurodiversity? Neurodiversity is a concept that recognises and celebrates the natural variations in h ...
Read moreEMDR and ACT
What is EMDR? EMDR stands for eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing. It is a psychotherapy approach th ...
Read moreCFT and ACT
What is CFT? Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) is a therapeutic approach developed by psychologist Paul Gilbert ...
Read moreTrauma and ACT
What is trauma? Trauma refers to a deeply distressing or disturbing experience or event that overwhelms an ind ...
Read moreDNA-V - the ACT model for children and adolescents
What is DNA-V? DNA-V is a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and positive psychology, both ...
Read moreWhy ACT for coaching?
What is acceptance and commitment coaching? Acceptance and commitment coaching (ACC) is a rapidly growing area ...
Read moreOn-demand training
Understanding cognitive defusion from an RFT perspective
Hossein Saeedi / حسین سعیدی
Read moreACTing it out: using chairwork to enliven your sessions
Tobyn Bell, Matthew Pugh
Read moreACT in focus: navigating processes, procedures, and future directions
Richard Bennett
Read moreShaping psychological flexibility with process-based functional analysis
Lou Lasprugato
Read moreDeveloping psychologically flexible children and adolescents
Darin Cairns
Read moreHaving difficult conversations: How psychological flexibility can help
Ray Owen
Read moreBlog: Latest insights into ACT
Harnessing the power of chairwork in online ACT therapy
As the psychology world embraces online therapy as a convenient and accessible mental health resource, therapi ...
Read moreRFT: what is it good for? Absolutely everything.
by Joe Oliver, Clinical psychologist, founder of Contextual Consulting. If you ask me whether you need to know ...
Read moreMental health in the workplace: Tackling burnout with ACT
World Mental Health Day was created with the aim of raising awareness across the world about critical mental h ...
Read moreUsing the science of procrastination to understand behaviours
Procrastination – the act of delaying tasks despite knowing the potential negative consequences – ...
Read moreFour steps to arrive at a difficult conversation – with Dr Ray Owen
Navigating difficult conversations is a reality we all face, whether in personal relationships, professional s ...
Read moreUnlocking the path to healing: can ACT help with chronic physical health conditions?
What are physical health problems? When we discuss physical health problems we generally refer to chronic heal ...
Read moreIntegrating ACT approaches into CBT practice: finding the balance
In the field of psychotherapy, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) ...
Read more4 tips to increase psychological flexibility
Psychological flexibility is a vital skill that allows our clients to adapt to changing circumstances and resp ...
Read moreAn A-Z of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
As schools in the UK begin returning to the classrooms and we all start getting back into those ‘normal’ r ...
Read moreFREE prize draw - Now closed
THIS PRIZE DRAW IS NOW CLOSED. WE WILL BE CONTACTING THE WINNER SHORTLY This week is your last chance to win o ...
Read moreThe 5 love languages of neurodivergent people and how ACT can support well-being
For people with neurodivergence, ACT promotes the acceptance of one’s unique neurology and cognitive fun ...
Read morePsychological therapy for chronic pain
One of the biggest problems facing healthcare today is the issue of chronic pain. Patients who have tried nume ...
Read moreThriving under pressure: Three ways ACT can support sports professionals
For elite athletes, coaches and managers participating in high-stakes tournaments, the pressure to perform is ...
Read moreACT for the climate crisis – a climate change coaching perspective
Climate change presents the biggest behaviour change challenge the world has ever seen. It’s not just a scie ...
Read moreThe impact of low emotional efficacy on wellbeing and performance
Emotional efficacy plays a crucial role in our overall wellbeing and performance. When individuals struggle wi ...
Read moreHow to get the most out of your ACT training
I saw a comment recently in an online forum saying that most ACT training doesn’t add value once you kno ...
Read moreThe four big myths about love and how ACT can help
We’ve all grown up surrounded by idealised depictions of love – from the fairytales we read as childre ...
Read moreRe-frame, re-train and re-connect with Hazel Anderson-Turner
Ahead of her upcoming course “ACTivate your coaching for beginners: A practical introduction to using AC ...
Read moreSupporting children and young people's mental health – a necessity not a luxury
While the emotional well-being of our youth is acknowledged as a key challenge in modern times, some new stati ...
Read moreMental health awareness week - Free introduction to ACT
Free introduction to ACT We’re supporting the Mental health foundation on mental health awareness week b ...
Read moreMastering the moves: What chess can teach us about therapy
Can chess teach us how to master therapy? During therapy sessions, the therapist and client engage in a strate ...
Read moreACT for chronic pain - systematic review
Key findings 25 randomised controlled trials of ACT for chronic pain were identified. ACT showed favourable ...
Read moreACT in the workplace randomised controlled trial study
Background to the study Mindfulness interventions in the workplace have gained interest over the past two deca ...
Read moreNeurodiversity celebration week - Supporting the mental health of people with neurodivergence
Neurodiversity celebration week is a global initiative that seeks to challenge stereotypes and misconceptions ...
Read moreExploring the dual nature of perfectionism and how ACT therapy can support
Superpower or supervillain? Perfectionism, often seen as a hallmark of high achievers, has long been praised f ...
Read moreExploring the effectiveness of ACT in easing stress among adolescents – a meta analytic review
The power of acceptance In today’s fast-paced world, stress has become increasingly prevalent among chil ...
Read moreACT as a workplace intervention: A path to employee well-being and performance
The importance of well-being at work At long last, many organisations are finally beginning to recognise the i ...
Read moreThe challenge of implementing ACT as a brief therapy: Navigating complexity when time is limited.
Finding an approach to therapy that suits both therapists and clients can be a daunting task. When using accep ...
Read moreSupervision: Meet the speaker (and an introduction to SEED)
At Contextual Consulting we’re proud to offer a full service for acceptance and commitment therapy, includin ...
Read moreReflections on an enriching year: Contextual Consulting 2023 highlights
As we begin to wind down 2023 and eagerly embrace the new year, we thought it would be a perfect time to take ...
Read moreACT and its impact on sleeplessness, especially in the winter months
What is sleeplessness? Sleeplessness is the inability to fall asleep, stay asleep, or wake earlier than desire ...
Read moreACT for adolescent anxiety: a systematic research review
Anxiety in young people is both incredibly common and can be incredibly debilitating. It can interrupt key dev ...
Read moreMeet our speaker: Tobyn Bell
Chairwork has been used for over 100 years, with many therapists regarding it as one of their most powerful an ...
Read moreProcesses, procedures and outcomes in therapy
When it comes to delivering therapy, precision is key. We strive to be as precise as possible in our intervent ...
Read moreAn overview review of the systematic reviews of ACT for chronic pain
Martinez-Calderon, J., García-Muñoz, C., Rufo-Barbero, C., Matias-Soto, J., & Cano-García, F. J. (2023) ...
Read moreSystematic review and meta-analysis of ACT in working with chronic health conditions
Brief summary of the paper: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) shows promise for managing chronic healt ...
Read moreEffective strategies for managing ADHD in adults
How does ADHD present in adults? Whilst we all know the classic presentation of ADHD in children, and the conv ...
Read moreHands as thoughts: how a simple metaphor can help you overcome worry, rumination and obsessions
Worry, rumination,, and obsessive thinking are common experiences that can consume us without us even realisin ...
Read more“What would they think?”: how grief models can show up as actions in therapy sessions.
Guest blog from Dr Ray Owen – Practical actions using the empty chair approach for dealing with grief Yo ...
Read moreSelf-harming and suicidality - red flags and effective responses
The stark reality: understanding the prevalence of suicide and self-harm The National Confidential Inquiry int ...
Read moreMeet our speaker: Louise Hayes
For many of you, Louise is another of the giants in the global ACT community. She’s the founder of DNA-V mod ...
Read moreMeet our speaker: Ray Owen
Ray Owen has been a familiar face as a presenter with us for many years on the challenging topics of physical ...
Read morePerfectionism: dangerous obsession or harmless competition?
Your opinion of perfectionism may well depend on your age, sex and economic ‘success’ in life. To the comf ...
Read moreA systematic review of the use of ACT to treat adult Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Brief summary of the paper: This review evaluates literature on the use of acceptance and commitment therap ...
Read moreMeet our speaker: Russell Kolts
Russell Kolts public persona is that of a perpetually chill, zen, super-compassionate guy, all of the time. Bu ...
Read moreContextual Consulting event success supports ACBS Developing Nations Training Fund
Dr Joe Oliver and Dr Ray Owen are thrilled with the success of their charity training event, “Facing the Sto ...
Read moreAmerican Psychological Association recognition for Contextual Consulting training
We have great news for members and associate members of the American Psychological Association (APA): Conte ...
Read moreMeet our speaker: Russell Kolts
Russell Kolts public persona is that of a perpetually chill, zen, super-compassionate guy, all of the time. Bu ...
Read moreParent, child, and family outcomes following ACT for parents of autistic children: A randomized controlled trial
The study aimed to test the efficacy of a brief, group-based ACT intervention for mothers and fathers of autis ...
Read moreDNA-V: scientific publications around DNA-V and ACT for youth and adults
About the DNA-V Model DNA-V is an evidence-based model that fosters psychological resilience and values cons ...
Read moreMeet our speaker: Russ Harris
Many of you will know Russ Harris because he’s giant in the world of ACT. You’ve probably heard of him, re ...
Read morePsychological flexibility of parents of children with disabilities: a systematic literature review
Gur, A. & Reich, A. (2023). Psychological flexibility of parents of children with disabilities: A systemat ...
Read moreWhy levelling up in ACT requires deliberate practice
My graduate school training at Lesley University was rooted in the philosophy of “self-as-instrument” with ...
Read moreHow to make difficult decisions in a crisis
We are making decisions the whole time. Tea or coffee? Netflix or news? Sit on the chair or the sofa? Scratch ...
Read moreMeet our speaker : Yvonne Barnes-Holmes
Yvonne Barnes-Holmes is a highly accomplished academic and clinician who has made significant contributions to ...
Read moreDoes practice really make perfect for therapists?
Does practice really make perfect for therapists? The impact of therapist experience on client outco ...
Read moreContextual Consulting support people facing major life crises in aid of ACBS Developing Nations Training Fund
We are supporting the Developing Nations Training Fund by running a webinar for health and social care profess ...
Read moreMental health and neurodiversity in young people: what can we do?
The picture currently painted by NHS Digital1 in England is clear; sadly the scale of poor mental health in ou ...
Read moreCo-operation, language and the compassionate perspective
While co-operation, as a set of behaviours, is not unique to humans, the degree to which we co-operate is. Th ...
Read morePsychological therapist burnout, ACT and psychological flexibility
For a psychological therapist, burnout is a very real possibility. A recent study of CBT practitioners in the ...
Read moreFlexibility@ work - curated podcast episodes
with Annie Gascoyne & Ross McIntosh Here’s our curated selection of People Soup Podcast episodes that we ...
Read moreNot lost in values by Helena Colodro
Not lost in Values – On lifelong skills training and comparison I’ll begin with a confession: I ...
Read moreLost in conferences (Lost in translation, part 2) by Helena Colodro
I was lost in translation (well, I still am) – what I didn’t know is that I was also going to be ...
Read moreACTivate your values workshop slides - BABCP Conference 2017
Richard Bennett and Joe Oliver presented their workshop ACTivate Your Values at the recent BABCP Confe ...
Read moreLost in translation: Who am I without my language
Impressions of a Spanish ACT psychologist in London I am Helena Colodro, I am an ACT psychologist from Spain, ...
Read moreACT for coaching - download presentation
Recently City University London hosted an ACT in the workplace day workshop, organised by the awesome Dr Paul ...
Read moreFree ACT resources from Russ Harris
Russ Harris has released a bunch of very cool free resources. In case you didn’t get them, here’s ...
Read moreACT training workshops in Kampala, Uganda
By Joe Oliver – I recently travelled to Kampala, Uganda to carry out a series of ACT workshops for trai ...
Read moreMeaningful work - ACT in the workplace
A team of counsellors and psychologists in the NHS wanted to improve psychological health and resilience among ...
Read moreACTivate your coaching practice!
by Jon Hill – Corporate Trainer and Executive Coach Blueprint Coaching During its relatively short life, ...
Read moreGet unstuck - open forwards podcast interview
I was recently interviewed by Jim Lucas, director of Open Forwards on his cool, new podcast, ‘Self Help ...
Read moreOpen, aware and active worksheet
Use this worksheet, taken from our book, ACTivate Your Life to map out your psychological flexibility skills o ...
Read morePassengers on the bus metaphor – ACTing out in a group
This script is taken from the ACT for Recovery – Group Intervention for Psychosis Manual (O’Donoghue, ...
Read moreACT bootcamp with Russ Harris - a personal account
I recently attended Russ Harris’ advanced ACT workshop in July. I found this training both theoretically inf ...
Read moreCBS wars - ACBS Conference follies 2015
Will the evil ACT empire take over and reticulate with the Rebel Force Team? Or will the RFT break free and do ...
Read moreACT/ MBSR workplace intervention for sleep - ACBS Berlin 2015 Conference
The effectiveness of a workplace ACT intervention compared to MBSR training for sleep A number of studi ...
Read moreBeing a zombie, finding Nemo & urge-surfing: it's all ACT made simple
by Jon Hill, Blueprint Coaching I am 90% certain that Russ Harris did not come all the way from Australia to E ...
Read moreACT for psychosis on the radio
Contextual Consulting’s very own Dr Joe Oliver is appearing this week on “Taking Hurt to Hope̶ ...
Read moreCo-operation, language and the compassionate perspective
While co-operation, as a set of behaviours, is not unique to humans, the degree to which we co-operate is. Th ...
Read moreThe psychologically flexible parent
Parenting with mindfulness & acceptance – Chris McCurry, PhD D.W. Winnicott famously said, “There ...
Read moreResource hub
ACTivate your life: An ACT Workbook
ACTivate Your Life: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Workbook for Building a Life that is Rich, Fulfilling ...
Read moreACT for sport: The wrinkly sock metaphor - making room for discomfort - Alison Maitland
In this video taken from our “Expert Tips for ACT” playlist, Sports psychologist Alison Maitland, ...
Read moreDisobey on purpose: A defusion exercise - Jenna Ashford
In this video from our YouTube “Expert tips” playlist, sport and exercise psychologist Jenna Ashfo ...
Read moreEffects of ACT on trauma-related symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis
This article examines the effectiveness of ACT for reducing trauma-related symptoms through a systematic revi ...
Read moreThe sky and the weather - a metaphor - Dr M Joann Wright
In this short clip Joann discusses a simple but powerful metaphor – the sky and the weather. “You ...
Read moreSetting intentions ahead of difficult conversations
Setting clear intentions can help us to focus our thoughts and actions ahead of difficult conversations making ...
Read more4 steps to arrive at a difficult conversation
Having the right approach to difficult conversations can make all the difference to how they unfold. Being abl ...
Read moreDevelop your therapist's sixth sense - Robyn Walser
In this clip taken from our YouTube channel, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) expert, Robyn Walser, dis ...
Read moreThe Sport Psych Show: Episode #257
Achieving your potential in sport and life – Dr Alison Maitland & Jenna Ashford In this episode of T ...
Read moreDifficult conversations: 4 simple steps you can take to arrive - Dr Ray Owen
Navigating difficult conversations is a reality we all face, whether in personal relationships, professional s ...
Read moreUsing values to tackle burnout in the NHS - Hazel Anderson-Turner
In this video from our Expert tips for ACT YouTube series, Business Psychologist and Professional Certified Co ...
Read moreA simple way to explain Relational Frame Theory (RFT) - Dr M Joann Wright
In this expert tips for ACT video Dr. M. Joann Wright demonstrates a simple exercise that she uses to explain ...
Read morePsychological Flexibility with Dr Joe Oliver
In this video, Dr Joe Oliver talks through the concept of psychological flexibility – the ability to ada ...
Read moreWhat is Creative Hopelessness? with Dr Joe Oliver
In this video taken from our YouTube channel, Dr Joe Oliver introduces the concept of ‘creative hopeless ...
Read moreACT basics - The six core processes of acceptance and commitment therapy
This set of videos is taken from our ACT basics series on our YouTube channel and Dr Joe Oliver talks through ...
Read moreABC model of functional analysis
Here we have created and collated a range of images that will be useful for functional analysis and ABC modell ...
Read more4 tips to improve psychological flexibility
Psychological flexibility is a vital principle of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). It helps our client ...
Read moreA-Z of ACT - acceptance and commitment therapy
Head ‘back to school’ with our A-Z of acceptance and commitment therapy. This started out as a fun ...
Read moreMy bus - A passengers on the bus metaphor poem
This poem, kindly shared by Angela Clover, talks through the passengers on the bus metaphor: My bus, by Angela ...
Read moreAn overview of the ACT model with Dr Joe Oliver
In this video Dr Joe Oliver talks through an overview of acceptance and commitment therapy (also known as ACT) ...
Read moreWhat to say when your client thinks compassion is a sign of weakness - Russell Kolts
In this clip, taken from our ‘Expert tips for ACT’ series, expert CFT (compassion-focused therapy) ...
Read moreBeginning conversations about values - Hazel Anderson-Turner
In this video clip taken from our ‘Expert tips for ACT‘ series on YouTube, Hazel Anderson-Turner s ...
Read moreACT for chronic pain, setting targets - Kevin E Vowles
In this video clip taken from our ‘Expert tips for ACT‘ series on YouTube, ACT trainer and clinical psycho ...
Read moreACT values cards
Our new values card have arrived! ACT conversation cards are a fantastic therapeutic tool for working with val ...
Read more5 love languages for working with neurodivergent clients - Jennifer Kemp
In this video clip taken from our ‘Expert tips for ACT‘ series on YouTube, Jennifer Kemp discusses ...
Read moreACT with love
Stop struggling, reconcile differences, and strengthen your relationship with acceptance and commitment therap ...
Read moreThe relationship between psychosis and psychological flexibility: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Executive summary A systematic review and meta-analysis examined the relationship between psychosis (or psycho ...
Read moreBoosting workforce resilience: How organisation-wide training in psychological flexibility can tackle job burnout
Executive summary This field study investigated the impact of delivering brief Acceptance and Commitment Thera ...
Read moreThe power of letting go - script
In this script we look at the experience of Sam, a fictional client. Sam’s experience with anxiety and f ...
Read moreTop technique to try with young people in ACT therapy - Dr Ben Sedley
In this short clip from Dr Ben Sedley, taken from our ‘Expert tips for ACT’ series, Ben shares a t ...
Read moreThree tips to be happier at work - Ross McIntosh
Ross McIntosh shares three simple tips to be happier in the workplace as part of our ‘Expert tips for AC ...
Read moreHow to introduce the 'Dropping the anchor' exercise when clients can't communicate - Russ Harris
In this short clip taken from our ‘Expert tips for ACT’ series. Russ Harris talks through how he i ...
Read more2 key ingredients to becoming a great therapist
In this short video taken from our ‘Expert tips for ACT’ series Dr Joe Oliver discusses the two ke ...
Read moreEmotion efficacy therapy (EET)- reading list
Emotion efficacy training (EET) is an approach that aims to help individuals develop the skills and strategies ...
Read moreACT for anxiety and obsessive-compulsive and related disorders: A research review
In a research review of ACT for anxiety, Twohig, Capel and Levin (2024) summarise the literature exploring the ...
Read moreSelf criticism measure
Self-criticism is a common feature in many people’s day-to-day lives and can contribute to various menta ...
Read moreACT in the workplace randomised controlled trial study
Comparison of mindfulness training and ACT in a workplace setting This study compared mindfulness training (MT ...
Read moreParent, child, and family outcomes following ACT for parents of autistic children: A randomised controlled trial
The study aimed to test the efficacy of a brief, group-based ACT intervention for mothers and fathers of autis ...
Read moreSystematic review and meta-analysis of ACT in working with chronic health conditions
This systematic review and meta-analysis offers some valuable insights into the application of ACT for treatm ...
Read moreExploring the effectiveness of ACT in easing stress among adolescents – a meta analytic review
In today’s fast-paced world, stress has become increasingly prevalent among children and adolescents, po ...
Read moreValues exercise
Values are like a compass that guide your actions. They move you towards your deepest desires for how you tru ...
Read moreThe mindfulness and acceptance workbook for self-esteem
Grounded in evidence-based acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), this workbook offers a step-by-step progra ...
Read moreACT for psychosis recovery
A practical manual for group-based interventions using acceptance and commitment therapy ACT for psychosis rec ...
Read moreAcceptance and commitment therapy and mindfulness for psychosis
Acceptance and commitment therapy and mindfulness for psychosis is a valuable resource for clinicians and rese ...
Read moreMotivational chairwork: An experiential approach to resolving ambivalence - review paper
Ambivalence towards change is a common challenge for psychotherapists. Drawing on theories of cognition and em ...
Read moreTaming your anger dragon: Compassion-focused therapy script
Dragons are powerful creatures, representing the strength and intensity of our anger. While this fire can some ...
Read more‘Hands as thoughts and feelings’ exercise - Dr Russ Harris
The “hands as thoughts” metaphor is a powerful tool for understanding rumination and worry. It hel ...
Read moreAcceptance and commitment therapy: 100 key points and techniques
Acceptance and commitment therapy: 100 key points and techniques Provides a thorough yet succinct exploration ...
Read moreIdentify the DRAIN in your relationship - worksheet
This worksheet is taken from Dr Russ Harris’ book – “ACT with love: Stop struggling, reconcile ...
Read moreOn coaching with Zoltán Csigás: On values and authenticity podcast
This episode of On coaching with Zoltán Csigás is titled “On Values and Authenticity – A Conversatio ...
Read moreNew generation psychological treatments in chronic pain - clinical review
This clinical review offers valuable insights into the application of ACT for treatment of chronic pain. &nbs ...
Read moreCoaching and climate crisis - webinar
Purpose and Possibility – the role of coaching in the climate crisis webinar This webinar from Climate C ...
Read morePerfectionism measures
During an ACT intervention or piece of work, it can be valuable to administer a measure to assess a clientR ...
Read moreWider Roots: Episode #6 Climate Change Coaching (w/ Charly Cox)
Ep. 6 – Climate Change Coaching (w/ Charly Cox) This podcast discussion offers valuable insights for coa ...
Read moreThe Coaching UnpACT Podcast
The Coaching UnpACT Podcast was created to help coaches and leaders apply the principles and process of ACT t ...
Read moreThe AC Podcast - Unlocking the Power of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Coaching with Dr Joe Oliver
This episode of the Association for Coaching (AC) Podcast is entitled Unlocking the Power of Acceptance and Co ...
Read moreSEED: An ACT supervision model - e-book
This guide introduces the SEED model of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) supervision by Dr Sally Bradle ...
Read moreThe Insight Podcast: Episode #100
Anxiety dinosaurs, confronting our shame, the fraud story & more This episode of The Insight Podcast, reco ...
Read moreACT for ADHD - useful links
The following list comprises publications and online articles that explore the application of acceptance and c ...
Read moreThe Journey Home: Dr Joe Oliver - podcast
This episode of The Journey Home podcast features an interview with Contextual Consulting founder Dr. Joe Oliv ...
Read moreMultiple emotions, multiple selves: compassion focused therapy chairwork
This article examines the use of compassion-focused therapy (CFT) for treating depression, with a specific foc ...
Read moreStop playing-it-safe and start living - Patricia Zurita TEDx Talk
Many people spend a lot of time obsessing over past, present, or potential future situations, constantly overt ...
Read moreACT therapist guide to self-care e-book
We are very excited to have produced this and we hope you find it interesting and useful. Self-care is such an ...
Read moreAcceptance and commitment coaching: distinctive features
Acceptance and Commitment Coaching: Distinctive Features is essential reading for coaches, coaching psychologi ...
Read moreThe secret ingredients to crack the parenting-teen code e-book
The secret ingredients to crack the parenting-teen code Our free download from Dr Louise Hayes shares ‘t ...
Read moreThe five facets of mindfulness e-book
“The Five Facet Model of Mindfulness Interventions” described in “Inside This Moment: Promot ...
Read moreThe ACT model
On this page, we have compiled a range of free resources that present the ACT model in different formats to ca ...
Read moreThe ACT matrix
The acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) matrix is a tool used in therapy to help individuals increase thei ...
Read moreSweet spot exercise
This script, shared by Dr Kristy Potter, of an exercise developed by Wilson. The ‘sweet spot’ scri ...
Read moreSoothing hand script
This script, shared by Dr Kristy Potter is a well-known exercise that includes applying self-compassion. It ca ...
Read morePrincess and the pea (expansion) script
This script from Dr Kristy Potter uses the well-known fairy-tale – Princess and the Pea, as an analogy f ...
Read moreWorking with help rejecting clients - book chapter
This resource is a bonus chapter – Angry Patients and Soft Eyes: Connecting with the Help Rejecting Pati ...
Read moreChairwork - Interviewing the inner critic
This guide provides a semi-structured interview schedule for working with the inner critic, taking inspiration ...
Read moreUsing chairwork to resolve ambivalence and enhance motivation - book chapter
This book chapter is taken from – “Cognitive behavioural chairwork: Distinctive features” (2 ...
Read moreWorkability worksheet
The workability worksheet has been designed to help individuals suffering from creative hopelessness, to asses ...
Read moreCompassion exercises
Compassion exercises can be an effective antidote to high levels of shame, self-criticism, or excessive self-i ...
Read moreThe passengers on the bus metaphor and ACT in the workplace
In this audio, Dr Joe Oliver discusses with Ross McIntosh the passengers on the bus metaphor and how it can be ...
Read moreACT in the workplace - useful resources
ACT in the workplace offers a range of interventions aimed at promoting well-being, resilience, mental health, ...
Read moreThe Insight Podcast: Episode #51
How you can build healthy resilience with Dr Joe Oliver This episode of The Insight Podcast, features an inter ...
Read moreInternal family systems (IFS) - Dr. Richard Schwartz explains
Pioneered by Dr. Richard Schwartz in the 1980s, Internal family systems (IFS) therapy is a form of psychothera ...
Read moreInternal family systems (IFS) - reading list
Internal family systems (IFS) is a revolutionary form of psychotherapy developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz in th ...
Read moreMindfulness cheat sheet
This is an alternate representation of the “Mindfulness cheat sheet” that is included in The mindf ...
Read more7 attitudes of mindfulness
Mindfulness is a practice rooted in acceptance and the present moment and has many ways it can be experienced ...
Read moreHolding your values lightly metaphor
Values are the qualities and characteristics that we consider significant and meaningful in our lives. It is c ...
Read moreMindful breathing exercise
The purpose of a mindful breathing exercise is to generate present-moment awareness and focus on the breath as ...
Read moreMindfulness of the hand exercise
The “mindfulness of the hand” exercise helps to create present-moment awareness, practice non-ju ...
Read moreLeaves on the stream exercise
The “Leaves on the stream” exercise is a mindfulness technique used to help individuals develop a ...
Read moreClouds in the sky exercise
The “clouds in the sky” exercise is a metaphorical mindfulness practice that involves observing pa ...
Read morePhysicalising exercise
This physicalising exercise helps with well-being, mental clarity, and emotional balance through broadening a ...
Read moreImposter syndrome metaphor
Imposter syndrome refers to the belief that one’s accomplishments and abilities are undeserved or that t ...
Read moreSymptoms of trauma
The impact of trauma varies from person to person, and individuals may react in diverse ways depending on thei ...
Read moreWorkplace psychological health ACT - City, University of London
This short video from City, University of London was used to introduce the ACT in the workplace programme in J ...
Read moreValues conflicts metaphor
When we talk about values an important part is remembering there will sometimes be conflicts in our values. Ho ...
Read moreThe gift of forgiveness metaphor
Forgiveness is an important concept. In ACT, forgiveness is not about condoning or forgetting harmful actions, ...
Read moreThe ACT fruit bowl metaphor
This metaphor is a simple, practical way to describe the “self”. It is helpful to remind us not to ...
Read moreT-Rex self esteem metaphor
Self esteem is deeply connected to our sense of self and who we see ourselves to be. When we are struggling ...
Read morePsychological flexibility of parents of children with disabilities: a systematic literature review
Background The World Health Organization estimates that over 1 billion people worldwide live with a disabili ...
Read moreActive acceptance metaphor
Active acceptance is a psychological concept that combines elements of mindfulness, acceptance, and action. It ...
Read morePassengers on the bus metaphor
The passengers on the bus metaphor suggests that we are not solely defined by a single unified self, but rathe ...
Read moreConquering the anxiety monster (with love) metaphor
This metaphor is extremely useful for both children and adults. It works best when using Lego to design an anx ...
Read moreThe chinese finger trap metaphor - Joe Oliver expert tip
The Chinese finger trap metaphor is a powerful illustration used in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) t ...
Read moreACT for autism and related disorders - useful links
This list of publications, books and videos explores the benefits of ACT as a therapy for individuals on the a ...
Read moreThe space between self-esteem and self compassion - Kristin Neff TEDx talk
Self-compassion fosters resilience, well-being, and a healthy sense of self-worth. In this TEDx talk Dr Kristi ...
Read moreThe power of vulnerability - Brené Brown TEDx talk
Brené Brown dedicates her research to exploring the profound realm of human connection, encompassing empathy, ...
Read moreListening to shame - Brené Brown TEDx talk
Shame, a deeply ingrained emotional state, corrodes self-worth and hinders growth. It thrives in silence and s ...
Read moreAnger, compassion, and what it means to be strong - Russell Kolts TEDx talk
Although anger can elicit a sense of strength within us, it is common for individuals to employ angry behaviou ...
Read morePsychological flexibility: How love turns pain into purpose - Steven Hayes TEDx talk
What strategies can we employ to thrive in the face of pain and suffering? The fundamental principal of ACT is ...
Read moreFeeding the dinosaur metaphor
This metaphor is a variation on ‘feeding the tiger’. It is a metaphor that symbolises avoidance, t ...
Read morePassengers on the bus metaphor
The “passengers on the bus” metaphor is a concept used to illustrate the different aspects of our ...
Read moreInternal hijackers metaphor
The “internal hijackers” refers to patterns of thinking that can interfere with our well-being and ...
Read moreValues in action - The unsung hero
A short video showing values in action. Living according to your values is important because it brings a deep ...
Read moreThe demons on the boat metaphor
This metaphor highlights the importance of accepting and making room for difficult thoughts and emotions while ...
Read moreThe unwelcome party guest metaphor
In this metaphor, the unwelcome party guest represents unpleasant or distressing thoughts, feelings, or sensat ...
Read moreDNA-V resources
DNA-V resources The DNA-V model guides a practitioner to develop people’s skilled use of Discoverer, Noticer ...
Read moreACT for autism and related disorders: meta-analyses and reviews
ACT can be a useful therapy for autistic young people as it can help them to build important life skills inclu ...
Read moreDropping anchor audio exercises
The aim of the ‘dropping anchor’ exercise is not to get rid of unpleasant thoughts or feelings, or ...
Read moreACT for adolescent anxiety: a systematic research review
Anxiety in young people is both incredibly common and can be incredibly debilitating. It can interrupt key dev ...
Read moreTrue strength: a Compassion-Focused Therapy approach for working with anger - workshop manual
This free manual, True Strength: A Compassion-Focused Therapy Approach for Working with Anger has been design ...
Read moreAn overview review of the systematic reviews of ACT for chronic pain
This summary of systematic reviews aims to provide an overview and critical analysis of the benefits of ACT fo ...
Read moreA systematic review of the use of ACT to treat obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
This review evaluates literature on the use of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to treat adult o ...
Read moreACT for autism and related disorders - JCBS special issue articles
The Journal of Contextual Behavioural Science (JCBS), published by the Association for Contextual Behavioural ...
Read morePromising findings: ACT for physical activity - a systematic review
Physical activity is crucial for maintaining good health and preventing various diseases. However, many indivi ...
Read moreUsing metaphor in acceptance and commitment therapy - webinar, with Niklas Torneke
In almost all models of psychotherapy, metaphor is considered an important aspect of communication. This is es ...
Read more