Contextual Consulting

24/07/2025

ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy), with its emphasis on experiential acceptance and values-based living, is now emerging as a promising adjunct or alternative approach to CBT-I (Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia) Our recent blog reviews findings from three recent studies that examine ACT for insomnia in depth, read it here 👉 https://buff.ly/k8F2oim

PLUS until 13th August you can still save 20% off our upcoming training course "ACT for insomnia & sleep difficulties" with Maja Schaedel. Meant for practitioners who have little to no previous experience training in ACT and cognitive behavioural work for sleep difficulties, we recommend this workshop for all mental health professionals including psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, nurse practitioners and mental health counsellors.

23/07/2025

From an ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy) perspective, adolescents being “stuck” often involves fusion with difficult thoughts and emotions or a lack of clarity about values, making it hard for them to take committed action towards what truly matters to them. However ACT can help! ACT can support young people to notice and defuse from unhelpful thoughts, open up to difficult emotions, and reconnect with their values so they can take meaningful action despite the challenges they face. 🙌

Learn how to apply ACT strategies for young people with one of our upcoming training sessions - live online:
➡️ Working with neurodivergence in young people
➡️ ACT for adolescents
➡️ ACT for teens with OCD
➡️ ACT skills for children and adolescents
Explore more on our website 😍 https://buff.ly/PIarV9C

22/07/2025

🌟 Compassion isn’t a luxury. It’s a superpower. 🌟

Join the CFT for beginners workshop from Nov 25th to Dec 3rd 2025 with Dr. Russell Kolts. Learn practical tools to help clients reduce self-criticism, embrace self-compassion, and approach emotions with resilience.

Live sessions plus 6 months access to recordings

Don’t miss out. Register here: https://buff.ly/wQtUVro

21/07/2025

Striking the right balance between connection and challenge is essential for effective therapy.

An excessive focus on connection with low challenge can lead to a lighter, low-impact counselling session, while an over-emphasis on challenge without connection can come across as abrasive and hinder the therapeutic process. The optimal zone lies in achieving a delicate equilibrium of high challenge and high connection, where the therapist can effectively guide the client towards positive change and personal growth.

Learn more on our resources or join us for a training session to maximise your therapeutic practice! https://buff.ly/kh3ZXGm

20/07/2025

Join Dr. Joe Oliver on 10th December 2025 for Bringing values to life in therapy, a 2 hour interactive workshop designed to deepen your skills in values-based therapy.

Learn practical tools to deepen and enhance your therapeutic work.
2 CE credits are available and you can access the recording for 6 months.

Early-bird price available until 11th September.
Register now: https://buff.ly/TcIiMRI

18/07/2025

This study published in The Lancet aimed to test the clinical effectiveness of the Empower-Autism programme plus treatment as usual versus the usual local post-diagnostic psychoeducation offer plus treatment as usual on caregiver mental health at the 52-week follow-up. The Empower-Autism programme showed a sustained moderate positive effect on caregiver mental health at the 12-week, 26-week, and 52-week post-baseline follow-ups, compared with treatment as usual alone. It was also associated with clear improvements in caregiver wellbeing, autism knowledge, adjustment to the diagnosis, and family wellbeing across 12 months. 🙌

Find links to the study in our resources section or join Dr Louise Hayes this September to specifically learn how to use ACT for autistic and ADHD young people: https://buff.ly/llAaGN3

15/07/2025

Join Dr. Russell Kolts for an 8-hour interactive workshop, Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) for beginners.

Learn practical tools to help clients reduce self-criticism, build self-compassion, and navigate emotions with resilience.

8 CE credits are available and you have access to the recording for 6 months.

Early bird price available until 13th August. Book now! https://buff.ly/1xspnrS

14/07/2025

Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP) is a transformative approach that fosters deep, meaningful relationships between therapists and clients. 🤗 What makes FAP truly unique is its focus on understanding and addressing the client’s real-life struggles as they manifest during therapy. Our blog explores the five essential rules of FAP, that can serve as guiding principles for therapists, PLUS you can join us this September to hear from the founder of FAP, Mavis Tsai 😍https://buff.ly/2hkUjKm

11/07/2025

DID YOU KNOW❓We have over 170 hours of on-demand training ready to go when you are. Everything from ACT essentials to Intermediate level skills, issue specific courses, coaching and key skills to approaches such as RFT and CFT. Explore our ACT online training today - there's no excuse to get started! https://buff.ly/pu73MVK

08/07/2025

🚨 LAST FEW DAYS to sign up to "Developing women leaders with ACT" https://buff.ly/4FLQyLF

This workshop is ideal for:
✔️ People working in HR, learning and development / equality and diversity roles.
✔️ Therapists working with women leaders
✔️ Coaches
✔️ Organisational psychologists

And this course isn't just for women. ACT offers men a framework to become intentional allies and advocates for women in leadership, enabling them to address workplace inequities with awareness, courage, and values-driven action. By applying ACT principles, men can take meaningful steps to challenge systemic barriers and foster inclusion. 🥰

07/07/2025

💡 A systematic review and meta-analysis examined the relationship between psychosis (or psychosis-like symptoms) and the key processes of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), including psychological flexibility, experiential avoidance, cognitive fusion, values clarity, and committed action. https://buff.ly/0xSLpxY

Take your skills to the next level with two workshops designed to help you support recovery from psychosis using acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Register for both together and save 20%! PLUS our early bird discounts on both courses are running until 9th July 2025 too! 🙌

Join Eric Morris for ACT for psychosis foundations and learn the basics of ACT, including practical strategies for navigating distressing symptoms with less struggle, using mindfulness and values to support recovery and building therapeutic rapport in challenging cases.

Then deepen your skills with advanced techniques in the ACT for psychosis masterclass, where you will learn techniques for working with paranoia, unusual beliefs, and distressing voices. You will also learn values-based activation and exposure for recovery and how to adapt ACT for mistrust and trauma. Sign up on our website!

Executive summary A systematic review and meta-analysis examined the relationship between psychosis (or psychosis-like symptoms) and the key processes of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), including psychological flexibility, experiential avoidance, cognitive fusion, values clarity, and commit...

05/07/2025

Save 20% before early bird pricing ends on 9th July 2025!

Take advantage of this exclusive discount on two essential psychosis-focused workshops with Eric Morris.

📚 4th November – ACT for psychosis foundations
Learn practical ACT strategies to support recovery from psychosis.

📚 13th November – ACT for psychosis masterclass
Refine advanced ACT skills to work with complex psychosis presentations.

Register by 9th July to save 20%! Book both workshops together for even more savings!

ACT for psychosis foundations: https://buff.ly/AGf9xTx
ACT for psychosis masterclass: https://buff.ly/cx1b8L7