Drs. Patricia Robinson and Kirk Strosahl are co-founders of Focused ACT, a brief model
of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy developing in America since the 1980’s. This
approach aims to help individuals and families flourish, even in difficult times like the
pandemic we are now experiencing. By practicing a “keep-the-door-open” approach,
clinicians are able to provide brief intermittent care throughout the life span. Dr.
Robinson has recently completed work as a technical assistant in New Zealand, where
a demonstration project of Focused ACT, practiced in the Primary Care Behavioral
Health model (Robinson & Reiter, 2016), was associated with health equity in access
and clinical outcomes.
Objectives:
- Describe the Primary Care Behavioral Health Model.
- State the aim of Focused ACT.
Pre-reading:
Robinson, Patricia (2020). Basics of Behavior Change in Primary Care. New York:
Springer.
Goubert, et al., (2020). Learning Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: The Essential
Guide to the Process and Practice of Mindful Psychiatry. Washington, DC: American
Psychiatric Publishing.