ACT for Groups
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Does anyone have any ideas or suggestion for applying ACT in group therapy. I run tx groups for addicts and alcoholics in a residential treatment facility. I do psychoeducational and process groups. Is there any group stuff out there for ACT? Good methods for teaching ACT to groups. If so please email me, call 619 584 4010 ext:112, or stop by if you are in San Diego.
ACT In Groups
Hi Ted (and Fabian below),
At Togus we have completed about 2,000 ACT groups to date. We did three more earlier today. (Togus has an Intensive Outpatient Program based on ACT.) I recently posted our newer 12-seesion protocol. You can also find copies of "The Matrix" that Fabian mentioned at this site. Email me and I will also post some variations of the Matrix on my actbynumbers site for you. The Matrix is just a user friendly version of the Hexaflex used to help get clients into the ACT process. If you want to get an idea of how I set up the Matrix, check out my YouTube video at
[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyDE0cm_7gY]]
The bottom line is that there are many ways you can set up the ACT process in groups. One of the things we learned early on at Togus was to NOT teach ACT, e.g. "Let me tell you what Acceptance is...." and instead simply get folks into the ACT process. A nice four session protocol for getting them into the process goes something like this:
Session 1. Informed Consent and Setting Up the Context for ACT (using the Matrix life manual). Homework: Notice 5-Senses Experiencing and Mental Experiencing.
Note: All homework is assigned like this: "You can do or not do the homework. Simply Notice if you do or do not do the homework. Either way works fine for this process."
Session 2. Work the left side of the Matrix and do the Suffering and Solutions lists. Evaluate the solutions in terms of short and long-term effectiveness. (In the books this is called "The Unworkable Change Agenda). We often go ahead and call the Suffering list items "Hooks." Homework: Notice if a hook shows up and notice if you do one of the old solutions.
Session 3. Work the right side of the Matrix having the folks choose valued directions and plan actions. Willingness is when you do a valued action AND carry the unwanted experiencing with you. Homework: Notice if you do or do not do the planned valued action; notice the difference between being willing and unwilling.
Session 4. Bring the whole process together with a Bus exercise. Homework: Notice Who is driving your bus (you or your mind); Where you are driving your bus (Toward or Away); What passengers are showing up; and, are you relating to the passengers as enemies or old friends?
You can also do a single session group if needed. Those are fun too.
How many sessions do you need to run the groups? Let me know an I will propose a protocol for you.
Take care,
Kevin
Kevin L. Polk, Ph.D.
[[http://actbynumbers.com]]
Groups
Kevin:
Thanks for your generosity, I will look for the protocol. I have been using the Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Depression, but I really like your structure here and will use it. As I work with a college population, a single session group, or workshop will be so great, as well as a structured 4 group session. I will get back to you.
Thanks for the YouTube video.
Annecy Baez, Ph.D.
Director
The Counseling Center
Lehman College
Bronx, New York
12- session protocol
Kevin,
You have referenced posting a 12 session group protocol. Is that on this site or your website ?
Thanks
Jason
12-Session Togus Protocol
Jason,
The protocol is here:
[[http://www.contextualpsychology.org/act_made_simple_togus_one_week_protocol]]
Or, go to Treatment Protocols under the Resources section on the left side of the ACBS website. Then find ACT made simple.
Kevin
Kevin L. Polk, Ph.D.
www.ACTbyNumbers.com
I watched you
on youtube today at work. I have been walking one of my clients through the mindfulness and acceptance workbook for depression. I had an interesting 1:1 with him today and it was like, there it was, creative hopelessness. Everything he had tried to do get rid of this sadness had not worked. We had a training on MI so I was able to just reflect that back to him and he was like "yeah, even the booze and dope, none of it worked." Then I asked him you know, how long have you been fighting with this? He admitted since childhood ...
I really wanted to give him the metaphor, or simile, of playing tug of war, you know what would happen if you just drop the rope, the feeling is still there but now you can move in a valued direction. We'll get to it. It wasn't the right time.
I joined your email list so keep me posted. Thanks Kevin!
Mindfulness and Acceptance Workshop
Ted:
Are you using the text with the 12 week protocol or the Workbook?
If you are using the workbook, I wonder how you are doing it individually, how you are choosing the exercises, and if you are using the steps. Maybe you are using another one of the ACT books, they have a great structured session by session format that is very useful, unlike the Workbook for Depression.
I am using the workbook for Depression in a group format, and I have learned a lot about how to use this book in a structured psycho-educational group. I do like Kevin's protocol, and his ideas.
Be well,
Annecy Baez, Ph.D.
Director
The Counseling Center
Lehman College
Bronx, New York
Great Stuff!
Ted,
Very cool. You have now noticed that once you are in the ACT process, stuff like Creative Hopelessness shows up and you can gently shape the therapeutic context around it.
I find the work very rewarding.
Take care,
Kevin
Kevin L. Polk, Ph.D.
www.drkevinpolk.com
did you try with the
did you try with the treatment protocols in the Resources section? Check the TOGUS program of Kevin Polk, it is a nice and simple way to teach experientially the basics of ACT, the Matrix stuff is always well received by the groups.
Take care,
Fabián
ACT In Groups
Fabian,
Just to be clear, one can do the Matrix in groups in much fewer than 12 sessions. At Togus we need to do five days of programming, so we have added ACT consistent "bells and whistles."
A nice 4-session set of groups is:
1. Introduce the Matrix, then do some simple Values and Goals work.
Homework is to Notice 5-senses and mental experiencing while doing or not doing the goal(s). (For that matter, we only ask that people notice doing or not doing the homework.)
2. Review the Matrix and then review the homework. Then do the Suffering and Solutions Lists. End with the "Shovel" or "Quick Sand" metaphor.
Homework is to Notice "The stuck feeling" and if any old short-term solutions are used for the suffering.
3. Review the Matrix and review the homework. Discuss willingness as an alternative to control. Finish up with Noticing Hooks and what you do next.
Homework, notice getting hooked and what you do next.
4. Review the Matrix and the homework, and then finish up with a bus or two.
Homework for Life: Notice who is driving my bus, where I am driving my bus, and what passengers are showing up.
This is also a nice sequence for a day-long program.
Take care,
Kevin
Kevin L. Polk, Ph.D.
www.ACTbyNumbers.com