ACT as a Brief Intervention
Learn how to do ACT effectively in short sessions using FACT: Focused Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, in this online course with support from Dr. Russ Harris in a dedicated forum.
About the course
4.6
Start date
Starts 13 October 2026Length
6 weeks | 8 hrs total (12 months access)Who this course is for
For Mental Health & Health Professionals, CoachesOrganization Enquiries
Find out moreAre you facing the ever-growing challenge of how to optimize client outcomes with as few treatment sessions as possible? Around the globe, the demand for brief therapy is rapidly growing, but fortunately, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) is well suited to a brief intervention format.
In this 6-week online course, you’ll learn how to do ACT effectively in anything from 1 to 6 sessions of 20 to 30 minutes each, using an approach better known as FACT: Focused Acceptance & Commitment Therapy. FACT is a brief but powerful behavioural intervention approach, pioneered by Kirk Strosahl and Patricia Robinson, and widely used in the USA and Europe.
Effectively Optimize Client Outcomes
You’ll learn how to use FACT as brief intervention for depression, anxiety disorders, addictions, stress, medical problems and a wide range of other common clinical issues.
Learn how to do an effective ACT intervention in as little as 5 to 10 minutes
Learn how to do rapid case formulation and treatment targeting
Discover exciting new research about the surprisingly high effectiveness of brief therapy interventions, and learn how to apply this approach with your clients and patient
Learn the art of focused interviewing skills
Observe demonstrations of the specific clinical techniques that make up the FACT approach
The FACT model is ideal for anyone who wants to do ACT more efficiently, especially for practitioners in time-limited settings, including primary care, short in-patient stays, school or university counselling, prisons, EAPs, and crisis intervention services.
$275
Save $175
ACT as a Brief Intervention
Normally $450
Enroll now$275
Early Registration | Save $175
Offer ends on September 11Course Trainer
Dr Russ Harris, MBBS, is an internationally-renowned ACT trainer, and author of the world’s best-selling book on ACT, The Happiness Trap. Russ’s background is in medicine. As a physician, he became increasingly interested in the psychological aspects of health and wellbeing, which ultimately led him to change careers and become a therapist.
Russ Harris has trained over 90, 000 health professionals around the globe, and authored nine books on the ACT model. His best-known work, The Happiness Trap, has sold over one million copies and been translated into over thirty languages.
Russ is considered one of the world’s foremost ACT trainers, and his textbook for professionals, ACT Made Simple is extremely popular. The book's title reflects Russ’s genuine passion for making the principles and practice of this evidenced-based therapy simple, clear and easy to put into practice.
In 2015 Russ created an ACT protocol for the World Health Organisation, for use in refugee camps around the globe. The WHO have published three RCTs based on this protocol, showing that it not only significantly reduces depression and PTSD, but also prevents the onset of mental health disorders in those at high risk.
Unique and Engaging Learning Experience
FACT is a radically different approach to therapy, which will give you a wealth of new ideas and effective strategies.
In this 6-week online course you will:
Discover exciting new research about the surprisingly high effectiveness of brief therapy interventions, and learn how to apply this approach with your clients and patients
Observe demonstrations of the specific clinical techniques that make up the FACT approach
Learn the art of focused interviewing skills
Learn how to do rapid case formulation and treatment targeting
Learn how to do an effective ACT intervention in as little as 5 to 10 minutes
Each week, Dr. Russ Harris will take you step-by-step through the core principles of FACT, supported by instructional videos, engaging animations, videos of therapy sessions, written materials, audio recordings, client handouts and worksheets, and interactive quizzes to test your learnings as you go.
To complete your interactive experience, the course also includes a fully supported forum where you can ask questions week by week and share your experiences with Russ and your peers from around the world.
Who This Course is For
ACT for Brief Interventions is open to any professional who works with physical or psychological health. This includes therapists, coaches, counselors, physicians, nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, physios, dietitians, occupational therapists, youth workers, BCBAs, speech therapists, and any other type of health professional - as well as students and researchers in these fields.
However, we recommend you have a solid beginners level understanding of ACT. This can include:
Attend an introductory level 2-day ACT workshop (with any trainer).
Complete our online ACT for Beginners course.
Work through a beginners-level ACT textbook, such as ACT Made Simple or Learning ACT.
Enrollments
We're happy to help if you can't attend the current intake. Once your purchase is complete, contact our customer service team and we can enrol you in a future intake.
If you need an invoice, please fill out the form here.
Course Overview
Course Modules
Module one
We begin by introducing the course and different ways of approaching your learning.
Module two
We introduce FACT in this module, tackling both what it is and isn't.
Module three
This module focuses on building rapport and establishing a contract with your clients.
Module four
A practical module that delves into work, love, health and play in your clients' lives and how to approach in session.
Module five
This module looks at the main problem and 'The three Ts.'
Module six
We delve into focusing questions and how to use in brief sessions.
Module seven
This bonus module is packed with extra therapy demonstrations and research.
Module eight
Quiz questions
Module one
We begin week two by exploring a new direction for therapy sessions.
Module two
This module focuses on reframing, giving practical examples and analogies to explain the concept.
Module three
We look at the choice point in this module, with demonstrations and examples.
Module four
This module focuses on active intervention, giving practical tips and tricks to help your clients.
Module five
We delve into the nuts and bolts of brief interventions - how to set up a session.
Module six
This bonus module is packed with extra resources for further enrichment.
Module seven
Quiz questions
Module one
We tackle homework in this first module of week three, and how to handle in brief sessions.
Module two
This module investigates the power of rating the helpfulness of a session, with practical demonstrations to illustrate.
Module three
We look at assessment tools, records and handouts you can use in session to help your clients.
Module four
We tackle how to work with difficult behavior in session, with practical demonstrations to illustrate.
Module five
We continue and explore what to do when a client can't decide which problem to focus on.
Module six
This optional content focuses on adaptions for Doctors.
Module seven
A highly practical module with demonstrates brief interventions for anxiety.
Module eight
This bonus module is packed full of additional resources and research.
Module nine
Quiz questions
Module one
We begin by reflecting on our own barriers to FACT as clinicians.
Module two
A highly demonstrative module which illustrates brief defusion.
Module three
We focus on brief acceptance, with demonstrations and examples to guide the learning experience.
Module four
We look at building on foundations you've laid in previous client sessions, and learn what to focus on in subsequent sessions.
Module five
This bonus module is packed with extra research.
Module six
Quiz questions
Module one
We tackle homework horrors in this first module of the week.
Module two
Effective strategies to use in challenging sessions are demonstrated in this module.
Module three
We continue focusing on challenging sessions, looking at values and committed action.
Module four
We explore acceptance and urge-surfing in the context of challenging sessions.
Module five
A bonus module packed with further research and teaching.
Module six
Quiz questions
Module one
We look at how to be flexible in a session, learning that you don't have to stick to the script.
Module two
This module contains further demonstrations and examples to enrich your learning and aid flexibility in session.
Module three
This bonus module is packed with extra resources to enrich your learning experience.
Module four
Quiz questions and conclusion
Course Excerpts
What People Say About This Course
4.6
1,265 participant ratings98.4%
Would recommend this course to a colleague.Anthony JohnPsychologist - Auckland, New ZealandI've done a few of Russ' courses and they are all incredibly engaging and informative. The videos explaining concepts are simple and humorous, making the content a lot easier to access and enjoy. The example videos of real sessions are great as they feel very genuine and provide a real insight into how ACT looks and sounds in practice compared to more staged examples.
Keira NoblePsychologist - Sydney NSW, AustraliaI found the content extremely useful. I enjoyed the delivery of the course- the humor and quick and succinct videos provided clarity and made it easy to review and learn the skill. The online videos of sessions were also fantastic to see the skills demonstrated with fluency.
Nevena LovrincevicPsychologist - Belgrade, SerbiaIt's been very useful. I feel I have been given useful tools for my practice because I have learned really a lot and Russ is great at being informative, engaging, interesting. I really loved the course!
Joanna M T TaylorPsychologist - Manawatu River Bridge, Ashhurst, New ZealandBecause it is filled with many handy pointers for this type of work and excellent video examples to really see these tips and strategies in action.
Dr Kirby SainsburyPsychologist - Sydney NSW, AustraliaLots of practical tips on how to explain/give the rationale for various ACT strategies in a briefer way than I'm used to; has challenged some of my own hooking and avoidance of discomfort that comes from knowing that my patients typically hate experiential work and would always rather have a conversation about a strategy than actually do it! Seeing different sessions that follow the same basic format has been helpful in showing the flexibility in delivery while reinforcing the key steps.
Alison MaitlandPsychologist - Oxford, UKFun, informative, engaging, practical. Learning how to do ACT in a focused way - useful in my role as a sports psych when I often have little time with a player.
Continuing Education & Professional Development (CE/CME/CPD)
ACT as a Brief Intervention is designed for mental health professionals, health professionals and coaches worldwide. On completion you'll receive an official certificate of completion, which can be submitted to registration bodies for CPD.
This course is accredited for 8 CE/CME credit hours for US licensed professionals:
Psychologists - 8 CE hours, APA - co-sponsored with Amedco, an APA-approved sponsor
Social workers - 8 general CE credits, ASWB ACE
Physicians - 8 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™, ACCME
Nurses - 8 contact hours, ANCC
Counselors, MFTs & addiction professionals - 8 hours, accepted by most US state boards via APA and ASWB ACE credit — see the state-by-state list
Approved CE activity with the New York State boards for Psychology, Social Work, Mental Health Counseling, and Marriage & Family Therapy.
View the full learner notification for this course (PDF) - includes complete accreditation statements, state board acceptance lists, learning objectives and faculty disclosures.
How Your Course Works
Frequently asked questionsView all FAQs
Yes – there’s a wealth of published research on ACT as a brief intervention, showing it’s not only effective, but has long lasting results.
This course will show you how to crunch the ACT model into short but powerful interventions, ideal for any setting where there’s limited time.
You’ll learn how to get ACT concepts across quickly and succinctly, in plain simple language, and move into active therapy without any fuss.
You’ll gain a clear framework for productive sessions of only 20-30 minutes duration.
And you’ll learn to introduce and work with any core ACT process within a 5-10 minute window.
Plus so much more!
You don't need to be online at a specific time! You can log in and out at a time that suits you and learn at your own pace.
Once your course begins, Russ Harris will be online throughout the week to answer questions, but please allow a couple of days for your questions to be answered. The forum will be open for 3 months, allowing time to delve into the content and ask Russ follow up questions after all content has been released.
No. If you’re a relative newcomer to ACT, it’s wise to do the ACT For Beginners course first, to build your foundational knowledge and develop the core skills. But it’s not absolutely essential.
The course contains many audio and text materials, from recordings of experiential exercises to eBooks on important topics. You can keep all of these materials – and you can freely share all the handouts, worksheets, and audios with your clients. For the video materials, you will have one year of unlimited access.
This course offers a downloadable Certificate of Completion you can use to show your professional development boards. CE/CME credits are also available for completing this course - please check the learner notification to view the relevant accrediting bodies.