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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Substance Use
Learn practical Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) techniques for substance use, including values clarification, experiential exercises, cognitive defusion, mindfulness, and committed action planning. Designed for Canadian counselors and healthcare professionals in addiction and recovery settings, this course emphasizes brief, culturally informed interventions, relapse-prevention strategies, collaborative care integration, and measurable treatment plans to improve client engagement and functioning.
Lifetime accessCertificate of completion20 lessonsMobile & desktop
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Counselling SkillsConcurrent DisordersPolysubstance Use
$80CAD
8 CEU hrs
What you'll learn
Apply ACT processes (acceptance, defusion, present-moment contact, self-as-context, values, committed action) to create brief and ongoing treatment plans for people with substance use problems in Canadian settings.
Use measurement-based care (e.g., AAQ-II, Valuing Questionnaire, substance use frequency measures, AUDIT/DAST, PHQ-9/GAD-7) to set measurable goals, monitor progress, and adjust ACT interventions.
Adapt ACT interventions to brief primary-care encounters, collaborative care teams, telehealth, and culturally safe approaches for Indigenous and other diverse communities while embedding harm-reduction and relapse-prevention strategies.
Requirements
- Current clinical role or supervised trainee status in counselling, social work, nursing, psychology, primary care, or allied health (experience with substance use clients preferred).
- Familiarity with basic CBT concepts and motivational interviewing is recommended (readers will be given quick refresh resources).
