Association for Contextual Behavioral Science

For those who are interested, I just posted a "Sorting" video here http://www.actbynumbers.com/glossary.html in the Glossary section of the ACT by Numbers website.

Sorting refers to, "Noticing the difference between five-senses experiencing and mental experiencing; and noticing the difference between moving toward and moving away." The sorting is done from a distanced, self-as-context point of view.

Just email me if you have questions.

Take care,

Kevin

Hi Folks,

Attached you will find a pdf for the new IOP format. This adjustment shows our moving "The Press Box View" from Thursday to Tuesday in light of program evaluation data showing we needed to ramp up self as context.

Take Care,

Kevin

Kevin L. Polk, Ph.D.
PTSD IOP, Togus, Maine
also
www.actbynumbers.com

Hi Folks,

Over on he http://www.actbynumbers.com website (ACT for Personal Growth and Development) I posted a new Matrix design.

The big change is over on the Values side. Now a line goes from the Self (III) to a chosen value. A dotted line is a planned action, then the line can be made solid after the valued action is done.

The multiple lines over on the Toward (Values) side represents widening choices of actions toward values. The single line on the Away side represents restricted choices on the away side.

Take care,

Kevin

Dear Colleagues:

Upcoming Webinar Announcement

Lesson 1: Moving Toward Unconditional Curiosity

Wednesday, March 3, 2010 4 to 5:30pm EST

This is a one-time Webinar lasting 1.5 hours.
Fee is $20.00
Register at:
https://student.gototraining.com/6v8n2/register/4352465480808151808
You can pay with any credit or debit card.
After registering you will receive a PayPal invoice for the fee,
however, you don't need a PayPal account.

A couple of people have asked if "Values-Based" tuition is in effect for the upcoming Webinar starting Feb. 3. (They asked because I managed to forget to mention it.)

Yes, $125.00 is the suggested amount, but anyone can pay what he can afford combined with what she thinks is right.

I also fixed this in the announcements.

Take care,

Kevin

Beginning ACT Lessons and Developing Improvisation Skills for working with Trauma Memories: Kevin Polk, Ph.D.

A four-session Webinar February 3, 10, 17, and 24, 2010 (Wednesdays) at 4pm Eastern Time USA

Limit of 10 participants. Suggested tuition is $125.00 (However, Values-Based tuition is in effect. That means pay what you can afford and what you think it right.)
Sessions will be recorded and available for download for paid participants.

Sign Up Here: Just email Kevin at http://www.drkevinpolk.com

Hi folks,

I created a video of me doing the psychological flexibility warmup. It's the set up for the Matrix.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyDE0cm_7gY

If you can rate it and leave a comment, that would be great.

You can even sign up for updates. I will be posting the Values exercise soon.

Also, The Psychological Flexibility Blog is at:

http://drkevinpolk.blogspot.com//

Sign up to Follow the blog to receive the lessons as I update them.

Thanks!

Kevin

Hello Folks:

Just checking in to let you folks on the email list about upcoming training events. Also, my friend and colleague, Benjamin Schoendorff, just published the first French language ACT book. You can see it at
http://www.amazon.fr/Faire-face-%C3%A0-souffrance-Collectif/dp/2725628741

Webinars:

I will be facilitating a “new” Webinar in October called

Working with Trauma Memories using the Matrix.

This four-session Webinar will be held on Tuesdays at 4pm EST USA, October 6, 13, 20, and 27.

Hi Folks,

Several people were wondering if the Matrix Webinar will be recorded. Thanks to the creativity of Bob D., I will be taping the webinars so they can be played back at a later date. So if you can't make the 4pm Eastern time slot, then you can listen at a later time.

You can sign up for the webinar at https://student.gototraining.com/register/8762981168431809210

The webinar starts Wednesday, August 12, 2009 at 4pm Eastern.

The fee is very flexible.

Join us if you can.

Take Care,

Kevin

Hello,

Attached is a draft of a write-up of a brief Introduction to ACT presentation I do based on The Matrix. I also attached the handout for the presentation called MatrixLifeManual.ppt

As always, email me with any questions.

Take Care,

Kevin

Hi Folks,

As some of you know, my colleagues (Jerold Hambright and Mark Webster) and I have moved beyond the iView to The Grid to organize our sessions. The exercise that we use to set up The Grid is The Pen. After doing The Pen and setting up The Grid we can then use a cool intervention called The Mix.

The point is that my July 1 morning workshop at World Con should be titled,

"Getting to Derived Relational Responding with The Pen, The Grid and The Mix"

instead of,

"From Verbal Content to Experiential Process with the iView."

Hi folks,

This is just a reminder about the webinars that are coming up this week of May 31, 2009.

If you have requests for specific content, drop me a line.

I have had one request for me do to an early morning webinar in my time, 5am USA Eastern time, for folks in other parts of the world. If you are interested, please drop me a line:

kevin@drkevinpolk.com

This week we will continue with the
-------------------------------------
ACT Enthusiast Webinar/Phone Call. Wednesdays at 4pm EST.

https://app.e2ma.net/app/view:Join/signupId:57955/acctId:33235

Hi Folks,

This is just to let folks know what webinars are coming up this week of May 24, 2009.

We can have up to 15 people per webinar.

-------------------------------------
I am an ACT Enthusiast: https://app.e2ma.net/app/view:Join/signupId:57955/acctId:33235
If you are an ACT Enthusiast and enjoy trading ideas about all things ACT (new clinical stuff, research ideas, etc.), this is your call.

Warning: This is a psychologically flexible call. It can take you to unexpected places.
-------------------------------------

-------------------------------------

Hi Folks,

Join me for my first conference call. We will talk about any ACT stuff people want to talk about. If folks don't have specific questions, I will talk about the new stuff we are doing in my shop. Sort of ACT Gone Wild, Gone Really Wild!

Just use the link below.

Kevin

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/join/753596003

2. Use your microphone and speakers (VoIP) - a headset is recommended. Or, call in using your telephone.

Dial 218-844-4937
Access Code: 753-596-003
Audio PIN: Shown after joining the meeting

Meeting ID: 753-596-003

I wanted to let you know about a significant change to the Polk & Hambright Group ACT Protocol; we have replaced the iView with The Grid. As the people who participated in the ACT for Groups training know, The Grid consists of two discrimination tasks. These discrimination tasks were in the iView, but we were not explicitly training them. After doing both the iView and The Grid in groups, we tried dropping the iView and did only The Grid. Data and clinical observation agree that faster behavioral change toward values occurs with The Grid only.

Hello, Folks

Some people have indicated having trouble finding handout copies of the ACT Game, Life Manual, and iView. I have placed pdf files on my website:

http://www.drkevinpolk.com/actprof.html

Have fun!

Kevin

Hello to All:

The first of my videos is ready, it's called "Surfing Your Stress to Success." It's an "ACTraining" approach to everyday stress in these troubled times.

The video is the 70-minute stress "management" program that I offer to community organizations and such. The presentation has been very well received. Most people like to talk about the "Noticing Hooks" section of the presentation, but they also like the iView.

Hello to All:

For all of those who have asked for a video of me presenting the iView...

I posted a video of me performing the iView for my stress management presentation "Surfing Your Stress to Success."

http://www.drkevinpolk.com

This is part of a full length, soon to be published video of the presentation. If you would like a copy of that, just sign up to my email list or my other blog and I will let you know when the full video is ready.

Later,

Kevin

Below is a values exercise that I posted on the listserv and some people told me they liked.

--------

Kelly and All:

I have a routine I do with people that usually gets a conversation started about some of this [values] stuff:

I just finished taping a new video for my stress management business called

Surfing Your Stress to Success.

It's based on Valued Living Training and other ACT-like stuff.

I will have it ready in a week or two so it's in time for the Holidays.

I have a mailing list set up to tell people when this and other videos will be ready.

Just go to http://www.drkevinpolk.com and go to the bottom of the page to sign up.

Cheers!

Kevin

Dr. Hambright and I have been diligently working out in our community-based practice; working on something that much more emphasizes values and committed action combined with simple noticing. We have decided to call it Valued Living Therapy (VLT) that is based on elements of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

Obviously VLT stresses the Values and Committed Action of ACT and uses a simple Noticing in place of more intense mindfulness practice.

Attached is a Word file about how we start our weeklong (12 ACT sessions in five days) program. It describes how we use "Noticing" in place of formal mindfulness practice and how we start the noticing and keep it going.

Here is a list of the sessions we do:

1. The Set Up
2. Valued Life Directions (VLDs) (Tx Planning)
3. Struggling with Suffering (the unworkable change agenda)
4. Less Struggling with Suffering (willingness)
5. Noticing (noticing homework review from previous sessions)
6. VLDs
7. Less Struggling with Suffering (getting hooked and noticing you are hooked)

I noticed that it has been some time since I posted to my blog. I guess I'm not much of a blogger. I don't know if anyone is interested in what ACT things I am up to, but if you are, here goes.

I recently tried out a new way of training ACT, specifically for the New England Vet Center Counselors in Mystic, CT. They gave it some rave reviews. Based on feedback I have included more practice for the trainees.

After the basic introductions, CEU stuff, etc. I explain that I am going to demonstrate how I go about Setting Up the Therapeutic Context for ACT (The Set Up for short). I then do that demonstration. It includes Informed Consent, the iView and the Life Manual.

I had an exciting week at Togus and traveling to train Vet Center therapist in Mystic, CT. I noticed some things and wrote them up. They are attached.

Cheers!

Kevin

Attached are some new instructions. The main thing is that there is now only one client; the group thing just did not work out for us. (A group of therapists tends to create a client that is beyond help.) It's faster to just have someone quickly role-play a TYPICAL client, i.e., not the worst human being you can imagine.

For folks new to ACT it can be good the help the therapist group come up with flexible, ACT-like things to say into the context.

And always...Carefully attend to all the client is saying and doing while keeping the Target in mind.

Just to let folks know, I am going to update this blog as Jerold and I gain experience in using The ACT Game as a training tool. I will try to give you a taste of how we come up with an idea, try it out, get feedback, modify, and then try it again. That is the process we used to create the Togus Protocol...

So after discussing our Chicago experience with our grad students, post doc and Benji (visiting from France), we updated the suggested ACT Game instructions:

By popular request, some instructions to get started playing "The ACT Game" are attached.

Attached is outline for the Togus PTSD IOP protocol.

The actView was designed by Kevin Polk, Ph.D. and Jerold Hambright, Ph.D. as a training aid for ACT therapists.

It is used for case conceptualization and can easily be played as a game during ACT training.

If you have questions, contact Kevin Polk, Ph.D. at polkkev@gmail.com.

Kevin