Darrah Westrup, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist practicing in Colorado and California with an established reputation for her work as a therapist, program director, trainer, researcher, and consultant to practitioners at various firms and organizations. She is a recognized authority on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and has conducted numerous presentations and trainings at international, national, and local conferences, seminars, and workshops. She currently serves as an expert ACT consultant for the VA-wide evidence-based treatment rollout of ACT for depression, and has coauthored two books on ACT: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Trauma-Related Problems and The Mindful Couple.
"Brought to us by two ACT master clinicians, Learning ACT for Group
Treatment is an essential addition to the library of any therapist
who uses mindfulness, acceptance, and compassion processes in
groups. This book brings the psychological flexibility model to
life in the context of group therapy. I am confident that this text
can enhance the effectiveness of any of our group-based work.
Masterful!"
--Dennis Tirch, PhD, coauthor of The ACT Practitioner's Guide to
the Science of Compassion, and founder of The Center for Compassion
Focused Therapy
"Finally! The scientific literature on acceptance and commitment
therapy (ACT) is heavily based on group intervention methods, but
through nearly three decades of such studies, no book has been
available to walk clinicians through the myriad choice points,
barriers, and opportunities presented by ACT in groups. No more.
This wonderful and readable volume walks through every relevant
area and issue in a way that is wise, evidence-based, and clear.
How can you organize an open membership ACT group? What if a group
member just wants to tell stories? In area after area and issue
after issue, Westrup and Wright have skillfully done the heavy
lifting for you. If you're doing ACT in groups, you now have a much
easier job: buy the book, read it, and use it."
--Steven C. Hayes, PhD, Foundation Professor of Psychology at the
University of Nevada, and cofounder of ACT
"It's here! And it's just what's needed for the therapist looking
to do ACT in a group format. For those who have been waiting and
asking for a thoughtful and effective guide--including material
ranging from brief basics on ACT to utilizing core processes in a
powerful and dynamic way in group therapy to supplementary content
designed to support its implementation--this is the book for you.
Darrah Westrup and Joann Wright have written this manual in a
user-friendly fashion. The book is comprehensive in nature, while
also maintaining a compassionate clinical voice--felt in both the
example dialogue and the overall approach. ACT delivered in the
context of group therapy is not only robust, but also helps clients
to connect with others in the very human experience of suffering.
Westrup and Wright bring these qualities to life. A must-read for
those doing or wanting to do ACT in groups."
--Robyn D. Walser, PhD, coauthor of Learning ACT, The Mindful
Couple, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for the Treatment of
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Trauma-Related Problems;
director of TLConsultation Services; assistant professor at the
University of California, Berkeley; and cofounder of the Bay Area
Trauma Recovery Clinic
"Life's too short to beat around the bush, so I'm going to be
blunt: if you do ACT with groups, or if you wish to start doing so,
you need this book. Chockablock full of wisdom and experience from
experts in the field, it's not just an optional extra; it's an
absolute essential. If you want to help groups of people to
discover ACT, and leave them glowing with a sense of vitality and
fulfilment, then be smart about it: allow Westrup and Wright to
light the way for you."
--Russ Harris, author of The Happiness Trap and ACT Made Simple
"This long-awaited book finally provides therapists with the
guidance they needed to do ACT in groups. Darrah Westrup and Joann
Wright have turned their scientific expertise and clinical wisdom
into a wonderfully written text that covers all the key aspects of
the psychological flexibility model while addressing the typical
pitfalls and advantages of doing ACT in this context. This is an
essential read for all therapists doing ACT in groups!"
--Matthieu Villatte, PhD, coauthor of Mastering the Clinical
Conversation
"Westrup and Wright have masterfully woven the ACT approach into
the group therapy milieu. Contextual behavioral science, the
foundation of ACT, suggests the human condition evolved through the
blending of two levels of selection: the group and the individual.
The ACT community has long endeavored to address the human
condition in a way that reduces suffering and improves quality of
living by using applied behavioral science to help at the
individual level. Thankfully Westrup and Wright are contributing to
the applied literature with an eye on utilizing group therapy to
direct the therapeutic process in important, valuable directions.
Learning ACT for Group Treatment highlights advanced ACT topics in
a manner accessible for a novice. This pioneering book offers
practical exercises for immediate application, and gives incisive
examples of how to use them in an ACT-consistent manner. Most
importantly, Westrup and Wright created a flexible framework to
create unique, impactful group therapy interactions. Highly
recommended, even if you are not a group therapist."
--D.J. Moran, PhD, BCBA-D, founder of Pickslyde Consulting and the
MidAmerican Psychological Institute
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