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The Israeli ACT community, the Israeli branch of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS), and the Interpreters Institute at the Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yafo are proud to present:
ACT here and now
Second Israeli ACT Conference, 2022.
What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy? What does it look like in the clinic or in research, what are its theoretical foundations, and what psychological or philosophical movement can it be associated with? The answer to these questions is not unambiguous and uniform, as ACT therapy draws its inspiration from different directions and movements, and part of the beauty of the world of ACT therapy stems from the fact that each and every one may find themselves in the approach and the therapeutic and human spirit that expresses their beliefs and perceptions. From structured protocol-based treatment to a liberated stance based on the therapeutic relationship, from simple contact with the moment to tracing patterns from the past, from behaviorist foundations and learning theories to a humanistic basis and various spiritual and cultural approaches.
The various branches of ACT therapy allow for contact and development in each of these areas and more. It is not for nothing that at the heart of the approach is the psychological flexibility that stems from dialectics. For dialectics is development from conflict, from the tension that exists between different attitudes, ideas, and directions of thought.
At the second annual conference of the Israeli ACT community, we seek to provide a rich and broad response to different lines of thought, diverse theories and applications, and theoretical transformations and developments. The conference contains a variety of workshops on various topics, and for different levels of knowledge and familiarity of the participants. It is intended for veteran community members as well as for new interested parties who are first introduced to ACT, for those who wish to deepen their field of work and also for those who wish to expand and encounter a new topic.
The workshops at the conference touch on the theoretical background of ACT in various aspects (behaviorism and its impact, language as behavior, the flexibility hexagon, etc.), provide an introduction to various psychotherapeutic approaches (focused therapy, compassion-based therapy, the therapeutic relationship, integration in therapy, etc.), and various interfaces to a range of therapeutic approaches (couples therapy, yoga, mental resilience, cultural connections, etc.), deal with responding to a variety of difficulties and challenges (working with anger management, chronic pain, high sensitivity, complex post-trauma, body perception, eating disorders, disease states, etc.) and offer several options for experiential and applied experiences (group experiential practice, introduction and application of metaphors in therapy, the therapist's position, practicing skills in small groups, etc.).
We will begin the day with a lecture by Lior Gilad, one of the founders and leaders of the Israeli ACT community branch, on the topic of "To the Self": Different Perspectives - One 'Self' (?). In her lecture, she will present a kind of roadmap for the concept of the self in the world of ACT. In the middle of the day, after a shared lunch and a break to refresh ourselves, we will meet for the main panel, "ACT Here and Now," where clinical and research innovations of ACT in Israel will be presented by leading researchers and therapists in their fields. This panel will provide a glimpse into the diverse and unique work in the field of ACT in Israel. At the end of the day, after the conclusion of the workshops, we will meet for a social and experiential activity that will allow for a final connection before we say goodbye.
Looking forward to seeing you!
Yours, the conference steering committee: Dr. Elad Livne, Limor Atar, Lior Gilad, Dr. Naftali Halberstadt, Lior Biran, Ami Wiesel and Dr. Sharon Ziv-Beiman.
Lecture descriptions
"To Myself": Different Perspectives - One 'Self' (?) | Lior Gilad
Many of those making their way into the world of the act struggle to understand the act perspective on the concept of the 'self'.
The hexaplex (flexibility hexagon) introduces us to concepts such as "the self as context," "the self as process," and "the self as content."
Current behavioral approaches abandon self as a noun (SELF) and treat it as a verb (SELFing).
Relational Framing Theory (RFT) describes the self as a set of well-practiced verbal behaviors of relating to self and others.
This lecture will attempt to make some order out of the chaos and find the common ground and the organizer between these perspectives. From the stream of consciousness we will navigate, perhaps we will also be able to see where behaviorism and psychoanalysis meet (and where they separate..)
Lior Gilad – Clinical psychologist, works with adults and youth. Therapist, instructor and teacher of ACT and FAP in many settings. Part of the team of the Israeli Center for ACT and founder of the ACT study program at the Nafershim Institute. Previously, she headed the Israeli branch of ACBS Israel.
Panel – "ACT Here and Now": Clinical and Research Innovations of ACT in Israel
Activism in the country has been bustling with life in recent years.
Dozens of workshops open each year, hundreds of women and therapists who are familiar with the approach and deepen it in training for beginners and advanced practitioners, workshops dedicated to disorders and different populations, and more.
Israel is a fertile ground for interesting and exciting developments in ACT and contextual behavioral science in general,
Both at the level of basic science and laboratory studies, and in terms of clinical innovations.
The panel will provide a platform for three researchers and clinicians who will share with the audience their work and its contribution to the theoretical understanding of the psychological flexibility model, as well as to therapeutic practice. Through the presentation of these innovations, we will hold a discussion with audience participation, and attempt to identify and formulate future development paths for activism in Israel, and in general.
The Power of Psychological Flexibility Among Unique Populations: Two Israeli Studies | Dr. Ayelet Gur
In this lecture, I will present two studies conducted in our research laboratory at Tel Hai College. The first examines psychological flexibility as a significant factor mediating the relationship between post-traumatic symptoms among victims of sexual assault and the quality of their relationships; in the second study, I will present a systematic literature review to summarize the research on psychological flexibility of parents of children with disabilities. The implications of the studies suggest focusing on individual and couple therapies in the psychological flexibility component, as well as incorporating principles of acceptance and commitment therapy in work with parents of children and adults with disabilities.
Dr. Ayelet Gur - Senior Lecturer in the Department of Social Work at Tel Hai Academic College, a clinical social worker by training and supervisor. Her research interests are psychosocial aspects of disability, with an emphasis on psychological flexibility and personal growth processes of family members of people with disabilities.
Enhancing the effectiveness of exposure treatment through acceptance-based strategies: A study under controlled laboratory conditions | Prof. Yiftach Yuval
ACT is a cognitive-behavioral approach, and as such exposure to the issue constitutes one of its central therapeutic interventions. However, in a way that is perhaps different from other CBT approaches, in ACT treatment, the planning and implementation of exposure must clearly address the significant etiological factor of experiential avoidance. The lecture will briefly present research that closely examined the added value of exposure that is directly based on ACT principles, in relation to "standard" exposure - both research and clinical experience show that it is also very effective in its own right. The results of the study support the importance of emphasizing treatment components based on the model of psychological flexibility (acceptance, mindfulness), a model on which the ACT approach is based.
Prof. Yiftach Yuval - Head of the Clinical Program in the Department of Psychology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His research deals, among other things, with examining cognitive behavioral therapy components, especially those related to the ACT approach.
"Enriched" ACT Therapy Model - Therapeutic Sessions Accompanied by Guided (and Intentional) Homework | Lior Biran
In this talk, I will present an active intervention model that has been taking shape over the past year. This is an active treatment protocol, during which patients come to a weekly group meeting for 12 weeks. Between meetings, patients are accompanied by an online system in which they practice, watch videos, read reading materials and fill out worksheets. In the group meeting, patients share experiences that have arisen during their work at home. I will present the model in its parts, content and rationale behind it, alongside vignettes from the pilot process that has been delivered so far.
Lior Biran – Clinical psychologist, instructor, therapist, teacher and student of ACT in various settings, part of the "Israeli Center for ACT" team and one of the founders and teachers of the ACT study program at the Mifarashim Institute, serves as the academic coordinator of the program. Teaches in the Anchor Program for Integrative Psychotherapy and is a member of its steering committee and teaches in the clinical program at the Department of Psychology, Tel Aviv University. Serves as a responsible psychologist at the Adult Clinic, Shalvata Mental Health Center.