ACT Interventions for Substance Abuse & Addiction

 This 1.5-hour CEU workshop is part of a broader series dedicated to teaching mental health clinicians Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Designed for attendees with an interest if not also foundational understanding of ACT, this workshop presents specific interventions for treating substance abuse and addiction. This includes skills and interventions for functional behavioral analysis, diffusion, contacting the present, acceptance, and engaging committed action within the interest of therapeutic goals and cultivating wellbeing. Attendees are provided learning opportunities through didactic, interactive, and experiential learning exercises. 

Objectives

•  The use of ACT for understanding and conceptualizing, i.e. the functional contextualist perspective, around substance abuse and addictive behaviors. 
•  ACT concepts, skills, and techniques for functional analysis of substance abuse and addictive behaviors. 
•  ACT concepts, skills, and interventions adapted for the treatment of substance abuse and addictive behaviors. 
•  Professional characteristics associated with using the therapist utilizing ACT interventions in working with substance abuse and addiction, to include technical and attitudinal. 

About Dr. David Pfaff

 Dr. Pfaff is a licensed counselor in Oklahoma and Texas, board approved clinical supervisor, and fulltime counselor educator. Clinically, Dr. Pfaff is in private practice with prior experience in community mental health, acute inpatient, drug court, MAT clinic, and university settings. Dr. Pfaff is also part of the fulltime faculty at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, having previously taught at Seton Hall University, Oklahoma City University, and University of Central Oklahoma. Being an approved LPC CEU provider within the State of Oklahoma, Dr. Pfaff trains working professionals on such topics as acceptance and commitment therapy, emotion focused therapies, attachment theory, and personality disorders. 

As an academic, Dr. Pfaff has authored on the topics of trauma and attachment, positive psychology and mindfulness-based interventions, acceptance and commitment therapy, emotion focused therapies, insight-oriented therapies, and the transtheoretical model. Dr. Pfaff is also an advocate for mental wellness and is featured in podcasts, article interviews, lecture spots, and discussion panels locally and nationally. Dr. Pfaff earned his PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from the University of the Cumberlands, MEd in Applied Behavioral Studies/Licensed Professional Counseling from Oklahoma City University, and BA in Anthropology from the University of Oklahoma.