Martin Wilks – Chartered Counselling Psychologist                                                         & Mindfulness teacher

About the workshop:
How does the very nature of human language lead to suffering? How can a person commit to living a vital and more meaningful life right now, in spite of emotional or physical pain barriers?Developed within a coherent theoretical and philosophical framework, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a unique empirically based psychological intervention that uses acceptance and mindfulness strategies, together with commitment and behaviour change strategies, to increase psychological flexibility. Psychological flexibility means contacting the present moment fully as a conscious human being, and based on what the situation affords, and changing or persisting in behaviour in the service of chosen values.

To practice ACT authentically with their clients, therapists will need to experience the application of ACT in their own personal lives. This experiential introduction to ACT is, therefore, both a CPD and a PD (personal development) opportunity.

The presentersMartin Wilks has cultivated and maintained a mindfulness practice since the early 1980s. In 1988 he began to write about and offer workshops on the integration of mindfulness into the therapy dyad and in 1990 co-founded an intentional learning community ‘Passages to Awareness’ which ran up to six camps a year for 12 years. His Masters research in 1998 ‘Towards an integration of counselling, clienting and mindfulness’ gave an academic window into this work.  Martin ran ‘mindfulness-informed’ counselling services in HMP Brixton from 1994-2011. In 2003 whilst presenting this work at Bangor Mindfulness institute, Martin was introduced to ACT which swiftly became his main way of working. He began teaching experiential intros in 2007.

Martin works as an independent counselling psychologist in private practice in Suffolk. In addition to clinical work he has been offering three MBCT/MBSR groups per year since 2004 locally.  In spring of this year Martin was awarded Peer reviewed ACT trainer status. He is one of only four UK trainers who have completed this arduous, rewarding, self & peer scrutiny

Dr Ross Chernin is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist based in a community mental health team in Norfolk. Ross first completed his introductory ACT training five years ago and has attended various ACT workshops since. He regularly practices ACT in individual therapy, runs ACT groups for adults with a range of psychiatric diagnoses, and supervises other therapists and clinical psychology trainees who are new to learning ACT.

Ross provides introductory ACT teaching for third year doctoral clinical psychology trainees at the University of East Anglia, and has co-produced and run several Recovery College ‘ACT on Life’ courses. Ross enjoys using core ACT processes with his clients in creative, flexible and compassionate ways. He benefits greatly from applying ACT principles and techniques to his personal life, as an ongoing process of learning and reflection.

Registration form: Experiential Introduction to ACTOnly 35 places are available for this workshop – register early!

Registration fees:

Early bird for registrations paid for by 30 September 2014

BABCP Member: – £140
Non-member: – £150

Full rate for registrations and payments made from 1 October 2014

BABCP Member: – £160
Non-member: – £170

Lunch and refreshments are included
CPD Certificates will be provided

Please note the Workshop Cancellation PolicyThe registration fee will be refunded minus a £15 administration charge if cancellations are received in writing to the BABCP Office, Imperial House, Hornby Street, Bury, BL9 5BN, or to workshops@babcp.com, at least two weeks before the workshop date.
By registering for a BABCP workshop you are accepting the terms of this policy

Cancellations within two weeks of the event date are charged the full registration fee