Monday 09 September at 4pm
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based psychological approach that uses mindfulness, acceptance and value-focused action to help people deal with unwanted and difficult thoughts, feelings and sensations.
In this session we welcome Lauren Steingold, a clinical psychologist who will be providing an introduction to this therapy approach and how you can use it to manage experiences and difficulties associated with living with multiple sclerosis (MS).
The aim of ACT is to improve our capacity for psychological flexibility which in turn enables us to deal more effectively with the challenges of life. In this introductory session, you will get an overview of the core principles of the ACT model and get a taste of how to start using these principles in your day-to-day life. You will also learn about what makes ACT so different from other psychological models and why it is often used to support people living with long-term health conditions.
ACT places much less emphasis on getting rid of difficult psychological experiences, but instead teaches skills to relate differently to troubling thoughts and feelings so people can live well whatever their situation. Research shows that people who strengthen the three ACT skills (aware, open, active) enjoy life more, feel better, find life more meaningful and cope better with distress than people who don’t.
ACT aims to develop behavioural therapy that combines mindfulness skills with the practice of self-acceptance. ACT enables you commit to facing problems rather than avoiding stresses and instead embrace the challenges.
So, if you have ever wanted to know more ACT and how it could help you, then this introduction session is perfect to gain insight from Lauren who specialises in its use for those with long-term health conditions.
Following the session, we will be hosting a six-week course focused on the six principles of ACT. The course will start later in September and we will let you know how to join during the introduction session.
If you can’t make the session live, don’t worry as we will be recording the presentation and will make it available to watch again for all those registering in advance.
To join this session, please login or register in our Portal area. The session is free to join if you have a monthly or year subscription. You do not need a subscription to join, as you can register and provide a donation for the class. The suggested amount for the class is £5. If you unable to make a donation, please contact us to see how you can access the online classes.
A recording will be made available on the portal after the class and can be viewed if you have purchased a ticket either before or after the class has taken place.
If you would like to know more or you are having trouble registering, please contact us at register@ms-uk.org.
Lauren is a Clinical Psychologist and an EMDR Accredited Practitioner, having worked with many different people, from all walks of life, who have experienced a myriad of different problems and mental health conditions.
Lauren qualified as a Clinical Psychologist in 2011 in South Africa and in 2016 relocated to the United Kingdom to start working as a Clinical Psychologist in the NHS, working with different adult mental health services. Since 2023, Lauren has been working full-time in private practice using an integrative approach, incorporating different models of therapy that include ACT in particular.
