Christian couples often begin the journey to “Happily Ever After,” full of hopes and dreams, only to face roadblocks, detours, and hardships along the way. Without tools like communication and negotiation skills, spouses can get stuck in destructive patterns, leading to the feeling that marriage is too hard to continue. In this workshop, licensed mental health professionals and ministry leaders will evaluate Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as an empirically based treatment that helps couples overcome difficult emotions and thoughts, refortifying a relationship. Participants will discuss how to apply ACT to help couples stop struggling, reconcile differences, and rediscover love, define the core goal of ACT as a biblical tenet, and explain the six processes of psychological inflexibility. Additionally, participants will identify schemas that underlie conflicts in couples, deconstruct cognitive and emotional barriers, and explore values-driven interventions tailored to willing Christian couples, strengthening the relationships and helping clients make values-based choices.
709 | Love ACTually: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a Spiritually-integrated Approach for Couples
PRESENTERS
Theresa Allen, Ph.D.
CE CREDITS
1.25
Approved For CE
APA, ASWB, NBCC, IBCC, Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling
Approved For CME/CEU
LEVEL
Intermediate
Summary
Learning Objectives
1 Define the core goal of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as a faith-based tenet for willing Christian couples and explore its application in helping couples navigate emotional and cognitive struggles.
2 Explain the six processes of psychological inflexibility and identify schemas that underlie conflicts in relationships, learning how to deconstruct cognitive and emotional barriers to promote healthier interactions.
3 Develop strategies for applying ACT interventions that are values-driven and tailored to willing Christian couples, enabling them to reconcile differences, strengthen relationships, and make values-based choices.