Introduction to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, November 2025

17 and 18 November 2025

Naumi Hotel, Wellington

Growing research about ACT demonstrates its efficacy for a wide range of diagnoses and life problems. It helps people accept their internal experiences while moving towards the life they value.

At this experiential workshop you will establish a foundational understanding of Psychological Flexibility, develop skills for using ACT and learn about Relational Frame Theory (RFT).

Over the two days you will learn how to:

help clients hold their painful thoughts and emotions gently; identify and actively move towards their values; and develop awareness of the present moment and their capacity to observe it.
develop a therapeutic relationship in which support can be provided compassionately and flexibly.
formulate life struggles from an ACT perspective.
practice ACT exercises and relate the concepts back to your own life and clinical experiences.
meet clients where they are and foster their willingness to change

This workshop is fully catered.

Designed for:

Clinicans of any discipline. No prior ACT training is required.

Register:

Registrations through Eventbrite.

About your trainers:

Giselle Bahr and Ben Sedley are clinical psychologists and co-founders of ACT Wellington. They have been using ACT in their practices for many years, and have been trained and supervised by many of the world’s leading ACT therapists and researchers. Giselle and Ben have both worked at Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, in Private Practice with adults and adolescents, and trained new clinical psychology students at Victoria University of Wellington. Giselle has developed and facilitated ACT groups for parents and adults, and served on the Board of ANZ ACBS. Ben is the author of the book Stuff That Sucks: Accepting what you can’t change and committing to what you can, co-author of Stuff That’s Loud: A teen’s guide to unspiralling when OCD gets noisy (with Lisa Coyne) and is an ACBS Peer Reviewed ACT Trainer.