Monday, November 10, 2014, 12-2 pm, at the Tate-Turner-Kuralt Auditorium of the UNC School of Social Work, Chapel Hill, NC  (catered meet-and-greet reception at 11:15 am)

ACT and Exposure Therapy: A Combined Approach to Enhance Treatment Engagement  || Printable Handouts || SLIDES

The overall goal of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is to help individuals take action and bring vitality and meaning into their life. In this workshop, Jonathan Abramowitz and Ryan Jane Jacoby masterfully weave together strategies from ACT and exposure therapy to help clients reduce avoidance behaviors in valued areas of life. Participants will learn how to think about exposure from an ACT framework, along with key concepts from both approaches. The presenters will apply and illustrate this approach on OCD in particular, a condition rife with avoidance behaviors and cognitive entanglements that impede engagement in meaningful pursuits. Drawing from case vignettes and illustrated with video, presenters will demonstrate ACT strategies for engaging clients in exposure, and also for synergizing exposure and response prevention.

Jonathan S. Abramowitz, PhD, ABPP is a Licensed Psychologist, Professor and Associate Chair of the Department of Psychology, and Research Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is also Director of the UNC Anxiety and Stress Disorders Clinic. Dr. Abramowitz conducts research on obsessive-compulsive and other anxiety disorders and has authored/edited five books and published over 100 peer-reviewed research articles and book chapters on these topics. He is Editor of two scientific journals, and has received awards for his scientific and professional contributions. He is President Elect of The Association for behavioral and Cognitive Therapies.

Ryan Jane Jacoby, M.A. is a Clinical Psychology doctoral student in the Anxiety/OCD Lab at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill. She conducts research on the nature and treatment of OCD and anxiety disorders, and is specifically interested in cognitive biases, treatment augmentation strategies, symptom dimensions of OCD, and inhibitory learning approaches to exposure therapy. Ms. Jacoby has published and presented her research at various national and international professional conferences, and has received numerous awards for her academic accomplishments.

CEUs: 2 clock hours (.2 CEUs)
The UNC School of Social Work is an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEPTM) and may offer NBCC-approved clock hours for events that meet NBCC requirements. The ACEP solely is responsible for all aspects of the program.  

Objectives: At the completion of this workshop, participants will be able to:

1. Discuss basic concepts of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
2. Understand basic concepts of exposure therapy
3. Identify basic characteristics of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
4. Approach exposure therapy from an ACT framework
5. Engage in ACT strategies for engaging patients in exposure
6. Participate in ACT strategies for synergizing exposure and response prevention

Register Here