By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Identify the foundational principles, definitions, and purposes of play therapy as a developmentally appropriate therapeutic approach for children.
• Differentiate between directive, non-directive, and integrative play therapy approaches and describe how each supports children’s emotional expression and growth.
•  Describe core play therapy skills, including tracking, reflecting feelings, restating content, modelling, limit setting, and returning responsibility to the child.
• Explain the role of play in child development, including its neurobiological, emotional, and communication functions.
• Apply foundational concepts such as PACE and therapeutic limit-setting to support safety, rapport-building, and emotional regulation in play therapy sessions.

At the end of this training, you will learn how to:
• Describe the foundational principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), including the six core processes that promote psychological flexibility.
• Differentiate between beginner, intermediate, and advanced clinician applications of ACT in clinical practice.
• Demonstrate ACT interventions for beginning clinicians, such as mindfulness of the moment, thought labeling, values clarification, and acceptance-based exercises.
• Apply intermediate-level ACT techniques including cognitive defusion, self-as-context exploration, committed action planning, and workability review in youth and young adult populations.
• Integrate advanced ACT strategies such as ACT Matrix work, functional analysis through the ACT lens, and cross-modality integration (e.g., ACT + DBT, ACT + CBT) to address complex client presentations.
• Assess the role of psychological flexibility as both a treatment target and outcome measure across stages of clinician development.

At the end of this training, you will learn how to: • Define Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and explain its theoretical foundation in Relational Frame Theory and the broader third-wave cognitive-behavioral tradition.
• Describe the six interrelated core processes of the ACT Hexaflex model—acceptance, cognitive defusion, present-moment awareness, self-as-context, values clarification, and committed action—and explain how they interact to promote psychological flexibility.
• Demonstrate understanding of ACT interventions by identifying at least three evidence-based strategies used to enhance acceptance, defusion, and present-moment awareness (e.g., “Leaves on a Stream,” “Passengers on the Bus,” mindful grounding).
• Explain the clinical relevance of self-as-context and values clarification in fostering resilience, perspective-taking, and value-driven behavior across life domains.
• Apply ACT techniques to common clinical concerns, including anxiety, depression, chronic pain, PTSD, OCD, and substance use, describing how ACT’s transdiagnostic approach differs from symptom-reduction models.
• Adapt ACT interventions for children and adolescents using the Kidflex model to teach awareness, acceptance, and value-guided action in developmentally appropriate ways.
• Identify key considerations for implementing ACT in practice, including maintaining a collaborative therapeutic relationship, integrating mindfulness into daily functioning, and aligning interventions with client values.
• Discuss current research evidence supporting ACT’s effectiveness across clinical populations, referencing recent peer-reviewed studies and meta-analyses
• Reflect on the ethical and cultural dimensions of applying ACT, including clinician self-awareness, flexibility, and the use of metaphors and language appropriate to diverse client populations.