Effects of an Introductory Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Workshop on the Acquisition of Therapeutic Competencies: A SingleCase Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a contextual psychotherapeutic intervention with robust empirical evidence across a range of clinical conditions. Despite this, the training of therapists in specific ACT skills remains insufficiently investigated empirically. T he present study aimed to evaluate the effects of a two-day introductory ACT workshop on the acquisition of therapeutic skills in novice psychologists. A single-case, quasi-experimental design was used, with two participants who had no prior ACT training. Competencies were assessed through observed role-plays measured by the ACT Fidelity Measure (ACT-FM), as well as the ACT knowledge questionnaire (AKQ). The results indicated that both participants showed improvement in ACT-consistent repertoires compared with baseline, although individual variation occurred across sessions. The knowledge questionnaire did not show significant changes between pre- and post-workshop. These findings suggest that brief workshops may promote initial gains in ACT clinical competencies, functioning as an entry point to the approach, but that the consistent development of these skills requires ongoing training and supervision. Implications for therapist training and the limitations of small samples and the absence of follow-up are discussed.