ACT & Values-Based Work:
An Integrative Psychotherapy Approach
Lauren Parker, PsyD
Instructor
This course will help to introduce participants to the basic principles of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and positive psychology, with a specific focus on how an integrative values-based approach can help foster well-being. This approach can allow the integration of strategies from other therapeutic modalities, and can be particularly effective for helping clients become more connected to themselves and improve their quality of “living” despite their struggles. More traditional therapies tend to focus primarily on fixing problems and reducing symptoms; but, what if those problems and symptoms can’t just simply go away or the client feels stuck? A values-based approach emphasizes quality of life beyond a symptom reduction model. It focuses on what matters most to the client, highlighting their strengths and positive qualities. The ultimate goal is to feel a greater sense of meaning, purpose, and overall well-being. Both ACT and positive psychology rely on clarifying and living in accordance with one’s values. Participants will learn specific strategies they can use in their clinical practice to help clients clarify their core values, develop a greater sense of meaning, and enrich the quality of their life experiences beyond focusing on their particular deficits. This course offers clinicians a valuable supplement to help clients go deeper in their therapy work and become more invested in their own lives.
Description
Date & Time
May 2, 2026
8:30 AM to 12:45 PM
Format
Live Workshop with In-Person (at Boston Behavioral Medicine) and On-Line Attendance (via Zoom)
Credits
4 CEs
Fee
$140
Participants will gain knowledge of the six core principles of acceptance and commitment therapy; including acceptance, cognitive defusion, present moment, self as context, values, and committed action.
Participants will gain knowledge of the five pillars of well-being within positive psychology.
Participants will learn how to integrate two values-based approaches from ACT and positive psychology into clinical practice to foster well-being.
Participants will start to develop competence through experiential practice of specific therapeutic techniques and strategies to foster well-being for various clientele.
Learning Objectives:
Lauren Parker, Psy.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist with an integrative psychotherapy practice. For nearly twenty years, she has worked in a variety of mental health settings with diverse clinical populations where she has gained experience and developed solid competence on a variety of therapeutic models and practices. She earned a master’s degree in counseling psychology and a doctoral degree in clinical psychology at William James College in Boston. Dr. Parker spent the first half of her professional career working primarily with individuals suffering from severe mental illness helping them improve their quality of life. She did some research exploring the effectiveness of positive psychology interventions, in particular written expressions of gratitude, on schizophrenic patients in an inpatient setting. In her current private practice, Well-Being and Behavioral Health Services, she integrates positive psychology, ACT, CBT, DBT, IFS, and behavioral medicine to help a broader range of individuals heal and foster well-being. Dr. Parker also does some adjunct teaching at the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University and the Harvard Extension School as part of a teaching team on various psychology courses. She is also a clinical supervisor and teaching staff at Boston Behavioral Medicine, LLC. In addition, she mentors graduate level clinicians, writes and reviews medical articles, and coaches industrial team development.