These articles explore how ACT supports the emotional well-being and psychological development of children and young people. They provide practical strategies and interventions to help navigate challenges, build resilience, and nurture self-acceptance as they pursue meaningful goals and values.
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 […]
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 […]
Here’s Dr Joe Oliver’s take of Inside Out 2, from a clinical psychologist and ACT therapist perspective: As a fan of the first movie and its powerful message about embracing difficult emotions, I was keen to check out how this sequel might tackle adolescence and the challenges of puberty. As a reminder, in the first […]
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 […]
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 […]
Anxiety in young people is both incredibly common and can be incredibly debilitating. It can interrupt key developmental tasks related to establishing social connections, undertaking academic requirements, and developing a healthy sense of self. Although many young people report experiencing anxiety, a subgroup describes their anxiety as very restrictive. They need some help and assistance […]
For many of you, Louise is another of the giants in the global ACT community. She’s the founder of DNA-V model for young people and adolescents, a published author and she’s trained over 10,000 professionals. In her spare time she runs a not-for-profit organisation taking professionals into the Himalayas to learn mindfulness and raising money […]
The study aimed to test the efficacy of a brief, group-based ACT intervention for mothers and fathers of autistic children, adolescents, and adults. The intervention resulted in gains for parents, with the greatest treatment effects observed for parent depression and family distress, which were maintained at the 4-month follow-up. Parents also reported short-term gains with respect to personal goal attainment, and […]
About the DNA-V Model DNA-V is an evidence-based model that fosters psychological resilience and values consistent living, vitality, and success. It aims to help people manage challenges, stress, and change. DNA-V integrates principles from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and positive psychology, drawing from contextual behavioral science. The model is updated continuously to incorporate new research findings. We hope you […]
Gur, A. & Reich, A. (2023). Psychological flexibility of parents of children with disabilities: A systematic literature review. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 136. Background The World Health Organization estimates that over 1 billion people worldwide live with a disability. Around 100 million of these are children. There are different models of disability: medical or […]
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