Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ACT: An Overview & Clinical Interventions for Anxiety, Depression and More
Live Event

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ACT: An Overview & Clinical Interventions for Anxiety, Depression and More

Wed, Jul 1st, 2026
11:00am – 2:15pm US Eastern Time
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About the Event

This Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) training course provides clinicians with a comprehensive foundation in the theory and application of ACT, with a focus on treating depression, anxiety, trauma, and shame. Participants will explore the six core processes of ACT—cognitive defusion, acceptance, contact with the present moment, self-as-context, values clarification, and committed action—as tools for enhancing psychological flexibility and reducing suffering.

The course emphasizes how these processes can help clients move away from avoidance and toward meaningful, values-based living, even in the presence of emotional pain. Through experiential exercises, case examples, guided practice, and clinical discussion, clinicians will learn to apply ACT interventions to promote healing and resilience in diverse clinical settings.

Live Event
This live online event will be held as a Zoom Webinar. Attendees will have the option to interact through features such as the Chat and Q&A, but cameras and microphones will not be enabled.

Live Event Instructor

Diane Bigler, LCSW, LSCSW

Diane Bigler, LCSW, LSCSW

Diane Bigler, LCSW, LSCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Missouri and Kansas with over 25 years of experience in the mental health field. She has held clinical positions as an outpatient and in-home therapist, and clinical supervisor. Diane was an Adjunct Professor of Social Work for 10 years at The University of Kansas, School of Social Welfare and a Field Liaison and Field Instructor. She has also held administrative positions as a program Director and Coordinator. Diane is a popular local and national trainer on a wide variety of mental health and workplace development topics for clinicians and corporations. Diane is most passionate about providing quality professional development to clinicians, employees, and leaders. For fun, Diane loves to spoil her four Dachshunds and rock out to 80’s music.

Target Audience

This live interactive is intended for Behavioral Health professionals, including psychologists, social workers, counselors, marriage & family therapists, art therapists, school psychologists, psychoanalysts, music therapists, and behavior analysts. It is appropriate for intermediate levels of knowledge.

Learning Objectives

After taking this activity, you should be able to:

  1. 1 Describe the basic principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and the concept of psychological flexibility.
  2. 2 Apply at least two ACT interventions in clinical practice.
  3. 3 Explain methods and rationale for incorporating ACT interventions into work with clients.

Underwood, S. B., White, S. V., & Forsyth, J. P. (2024). Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and self-compassion for generalized anxiety disorder and comorbid major depressive disorder: A case study. Clinical Case Studies, 23(6), 479-496. https://doi.org/10.1177/15346501241278297

Linde, J., Luoma, J. B., Rück, C., Ramnerö, J., & Lundgren, T. (2023). Acceptance and compassion-based therapy targeting shame in body dysmorphic disorder: A multiple baseline study. Behavior modification, 47(3), 693-718. https://doi.org/10.1177/01454455221129989

Nikolić, M., Hannigan, L. J., Krebs, G., Sterne, A., Gregory, A. M., & Eley, T. C. (2022). Aetiology of shame and its association with adolescent depression and anxiety: results from a prospective twin and sibling study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 63(1), 99-108. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13465

Barta, T., & Kiropoulos, L. (2023). The mediating role of stigma, internalized shame, and autonomous motivation in the relationship between depression, anxiety, and psychological help-seeking attitudes in multiple sclerosis. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 30(1), 133-145. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-022-10078-6

Dolezal, L. (2022). Shame anxiety, stigma and clinical encounters. Journal of evaluation in clinical practice, 28(5), 854-860. https://doi.org/10.1111/jep.13744

Seah, R., & Berle, D. (2024). Negative Attributions as a Source of Vulnerability for trauma-related Shame and PTSD Symptoms. Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 42(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10942-022-00481-z

Disclosure to Learners

CE Learning Systems adheres to the ACCME's Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CE activity – including faculty, planners, reviewers, or others ― are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (formerly known as commercial interests).

The following relevant financial relationships have been disclosed by this activity's planners, faculty, and the reviewer:

Planners and Reviewers

The planners of this activity have reported that they have no relevant financial relationships.

Faculty

There are no known relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Commercial support

There is no commercial support for this distance-learning course.

Use our CE Approvals tool to look up your state requirements and how can help you meet them, or log in to your member account to show approvals relevant to your licensure.

Joint Accreditation (JA)

3 Psychologist CE credit hours
3 Social Worker CE credit hours Clinical
Eligible until Jul 1st, 2026
In support of improving patient care, CE Learning Systems, LLC, is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
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American Psychological Association (APA)

3 CE credit hours Clinical
Eligible until Jul 1st, 2026
Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibility for the content of the programs.
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Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB ACE)

3 CE credit hours Clinical
Eligible until Jul 1st, 2026
As a Jointly Accredited Organization, CE Learning Systems LLC is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. Social workers completing this course receive 3 clinical continuing education credit(s).
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National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)

3 CE credit hours
Eligible until Jul 1st, 2026
CE Learning Systems has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 5951. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CE Learning Systems is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. 3 NBCC hour(s) awarded.
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NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC)

3 CE credit hours
Eligible until Jul 1st, 2026
This course has been approved by CE Learning Systems, service provider of Impact CE, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits. NAADAC Provider #192243, CE Learning Systems is responsible for all aspects of their programming.
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NAADAC Approved Education Provider

Florida Certification Board (FCB)

3 CE credit hours
Eligible until Jul 1st, 2026
Impact CE, a service of CE learning Systems, is approved by the Florida Certification Board (FCB) to offer continuing education programs (Provider # 5069A).
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Missouri Credentialing Board (MCB)

3 CE credit hours
Eligible until Jul 1st, 2026
AddictionCounselorCE is an approved provider of the Missouri Substance Abuse Professional Credentialing Board (Provider #101). AddictionCounselorCE maintains responsibility for this course and its contents.
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New York Education Department Board of Social Work

3 contact hours
Eligible until Jul 1st, 2026
CE Learning Systems, LLC, (d/b/a impactce.com) is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers. Provider #0060.
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New York Education Department Board of Creative Arts Therapy (NYSEDCAT)

3 CE credit hours
Eligible until Jul 1st, 2026
CE Learning Systems (d/b/a impactce.com) is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed creative arts therapists. #CAT-0008
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New York Education Department Board of Mental Health Counseling

3 CE credit hours
Eligible until Jul 1st, 2026
CE Learning Systems, LLC (d/b/a impactce.com) is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0072.
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New York Education Department Board of Psychologists

3 CE credit hours
Eligible until Jul 1st, 2026
CE Learning Systems, LLC, (d/b/a impactce.com) is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for psychologists, # PSY-0016.
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New York Education Department Board of Marriage and Family Therapy

3 CE credit hours
Eligible until Jul 1st, 2026
CE Learning Systems, LLC (d/b/a impactce.com) is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0045.
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Virginia Certification Board (VCB)

3 CE credit hours
Eligible until Jul 1st, 2026
Virginia Certification Board educational provider # 106
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Event Agenda

Agenda times are listed in US Eastern Time. That is 3 hours later than US Pacific Time. The event starts at 8:00am US Pacific Time.

11:00 AM – 11:30 AM

Introduction to ACT and Psychological Flexibility

  • Opening case vignette: Kim
  • The ACT Hexaflex
  • Examples of the six core ACT processes
  • The Choice Point and the Struggle Switch
  • Sources of anxiety
  • CBT vs. ACT


11:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Core ACT Skills and Clinical Applications

  • Skill review using the James case study:
    • Cognitive defusion
    • Acceptance
    • Present-moment awareness
    • Self-as-context
    • Values clarification
    • Committed action
  • ACT for depression: four case examples
  • Experiential exercise for therapists

12:30 PM – 12:45 PM

BREAK


12:45 PM – 2:15 PM

Advanced ACT Applications

  • ACT Matrix case study
  • Therapeutic metaphors in ACT
  • Cultural considerations in ACT
  • ACT applications for trauma
  • Suicide and defusion in ACT
  • Video: Dropping Anchor skill demonstration
  • Closing poem: The Guest House by Rumi
  • Resource review
  • Q&A

Policies

If a grievance arises pertaining to your participation in our continuing education activities, please contact our support team immediately. See our full grievance policy for more information.

ADA accommodations will be made in accordance with the law; please indicate your special needs when you register by contacting us.

Up to 30 days prior to the event, live event registrations may be canceled for a refund via the current courses tab in your member account. Less than 30 days prior to the event, live event registration purchases are not eligible for a refund, but can be transferred to a different event. Please contact our support team for assistance with changing your registration.

  • This is a live event, hosted via Zoom Webinar. you may be prompted to download or upgrade your Zoom app if using a mobile device. A strong WiFi/internet connection will be required for best quality.

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If you need to cancel your registration for a webinar, please contact our support team for assistance prior to the event. Please note our refund policy, above.

If the activity must be cancelled by the provider, all attendees will receive an email notifying them of the cancellation. The email will also provide details about transferring the registration to another educational activity or receiving a refund of the registration fee. As always, you can contact our support team if you have questions or concerns.

Frequently Asked Questions

Once you register, you'll receive an email with the link and instructions to join the live event. The event will be hosted via Zoom. You may test your Zoom connection prior to the event at the Zoom Test page We recommend logging in 10-15 minutes early to be sure your connection is ready.

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If you need to withdraw 30 or more days before the event, you can do this your self from your current courses tab.

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