Act for Adolescents ─ Treating Teens and Adolescents in Individual and Group Therapy

In this much-needed guide, a clinical psychologist and a social worker provide a flexible, ten-week protocol based in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to help adolescents overcome mental health hurdles and thrive.

If you’re a clinician working with adolescents, you understand the challenges this population faces. But sometimes it can be difficult to establish connection in therapy. To help,ACT for Adolescents offers the first effective professional protocol for facilitating ACT with adolescents in individual therapy, along with modifications for a group setting.

In this book, you’ll find invaluable strategies for connecting meaningfully with your client in session, while at the same time arriving quickly and safely to the clinical issues your client is facing. You’ll also find an overview of the core processes of ACT so you can introduce mindfulness into each session and help your client choose values-based action. Using the protocol outlined in this book, you’ll be able to help your client overcome a number of mental health challenges from depression and anxiety to eating disorders and trauma.

If you work with adolescent clients, the powerful and effective step-by-step exercises in this book are tailored especially for you. This is a must-have addition to your professional library.

This book includes audio downloads.

Sheri L. Turrell, PhD, is a clinical psychologist living with her family in Toronto, ON, Canada. She is passionate about her clinical work with adolescents, helping them to move towards a life that matters. Sheri is the primary investigator, working in collaboration with Mary Bell, for studies of group-based acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and a mobile app for adolescents. Sheri runs a full-time private practice, and enjoys being a consultant for graduate students and mental health service providers who are interested in learning ACT.

Mary Bell, MSW, RSW, is a social worker working in private practice and clinical roles in Singapore and Toronto, ON, Canada. She specializes in helping youths and their parents through the adolescent transition. Her clinical affiliations have included The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), and Trillium Health Partners. She has found her ‘true north’ in sharing acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) with both clients and other practitioners.