This insightful and empowering course takes you step-by-step through a compassionate and effective treatment program for perfectionism, or people-pleasing, or any combination of the two - with direct guidance from Dr. Russ Harris via an exclusive forum.
This immersive training gives you a treasure trove of powerful tools and techniques to work effectively and compassionately with perfectionism, people-pleasing, or any combination of the two. These difficult-to-treat behaviours commonly co-occur with depression, trauma, burnout, and anxiety disorders. Underlying these patterns, we find: harsh self-judgment, high levels of anxiety/self-doubt/insecurity, high experiential avoidance, fusion with rigid rules, and intense fear of negative consequences if they were to reduce the behaviour.
This course shows you not only how to apply ACT, but also to incorporate additional skills that are essential for all such clients - such as how to say no, make assertive requests, know your rights, and set boundaries. This makes it an incredibly useful ‘add-on’ to our courses on Trauma-Focused ACT and ACT for Depression & Anxiety.
This course is led by Russ Harris, the world’s leading ACT trainer. It includes an interactive forum where you can connect with Russ daily, to ask questions, share experiences, and get feedback. Through the course and the forum, Russ will guide you through the fluent, flexible use of ACT to effectively target all aspects of perfectionism and people pleasing, including:
harsh self-judgment and deep-seated unworthiness
common intense fears (e.g. of making mistakes, disapproval, rejection, negative evaluation, hostile reactions)
procrastination
worrying and rumination
excessive risk-aversion
excessive self-sacrifice to get good results or appease others
rigid rules (e.g. always needing to excel, look good, or put others first)
difficulty saying no, making requests, setting boundaries
difficulty carving out time for oneself
difficulty setting realistic goals
a fragile sense of self, largely based on achievement or approval
fusion with “should”, “must”, and “have to”
and soooo much more.
So if you already know ACT basics and you want to upgrade and streamline your skills to work efficiently, compassionately and creatively with perfectionism and people-pleasing, this is the course for you.
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.
There are twelve-hours of training, delivered over six weeks, with two hours of new material released each week. And you’ll have access to all course materials for 12 months in total, so it’s no problem if you fall behind.
Each week, Russ will take you step-by-step through the core principles of ACT, 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 daily, and share your experiences with Russ and your peers from around the world.
ACT for People Pleasing and Perfectionism 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 the online ACT for Beginners course.
Work through a beginners-level ACT textbook from start to end, such as ACT Made Simple, 2nd edition 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.
We begin by introducing the course, content & some give some helpful suggestions for learning approaches.
This modules introduces what we mean by people pleasing and how people pleasing develops.
This module delves into six key themes of the course and begins exploring vicious cycles of people pleasing.
We'll look at case formulation and you'll create your own in this module.
This optional module is packed with extra resources to enrich your learning.
This module includes therapy sessions where key skills are modelled.
Exploring past history and and establishing therapy goals are key skills explored in this module.
This optional module looks at cultural influences on people pleasing, with encouragement to apply ACT to yourself.
Quiz
Some essential reviews from week 1 and follow up sessions from the therapy demonstration.
This module investigates creative hopelessness, with examples given in therapy sessions.
We delve into dropping anchor with clients in this module.
This module looks at the difference between rules and values.
This highly practical module explores defusion and gives examples with therapy demonstrations.
This module addresses what to do when a client is focused on pleasing the therapist.
An encouragement to reflect on our own people pleasing behavior
Quiz questions
We introduce self-compassion in week three and explore the first steps.
We continue looking at self-compassion and explore the self-concept.
This highly demonstrative module focuses on 'inner child' work.
We look at personal rights, and the various areas of life they can be applied in this module.
This bonus module includes more personal reflection and applying the week's learning to self.
Quiz
This week begins by looking at the skills required for assertiveness.
A highly demonstrative look at assertive training in session, including practical tips and tricks to guide your clients.
We explore exposure and breaking the rules in a session.
We build on previous work and continue to explore assertiveness.
This bonus module delves into handling setbacks and gives practical tips.
A further bonus module which encourages self-reflection.
Quiz questions
We investigate when perfectionism becomes problematic in this module.
This module explores the connection between rules, values and anxiety
This practical module demonstrates the first steps when dealing with unhealthy perfectionism.
We build on the skills demonstrated last module and focus on overcoming obstacles.
This module focuses on setting flexible goals that promote healthy behaviors.
We delve into keys to overcome procrastination and indecisiveness.
This module contains encouragement to apply this week's learnings to the self.
Quiz questions
We begin this week by exploring skills for overcoming unhealthy perfectionism.
A highly practical module that delves further into exposure through 'breaking the rules'.
We build on the previous module and explore flexibility with rules.
We delve into process verses outcome and look at redefining success with our clients.
This a bonus module centred on ruminating and worrying.
An encouragement and tips to apply this week's content to yourself.
Quiz questions and finish
Jessica DUPsychologist - Melbourne, AustraliaThis course summarises well the common problems seen in perfectionism and people pleasing. The demo sessions are very helpful in giving me ideas of what and how to work with my client. And I really enjoyed Russ' silly jokes..
Dr. Tanya SpencerPsychologist - Edmonton, Alberta, CanadaACT is a great approach that seems ahead of the curve compared to others. Course is laid out well & every clip has a purpose. It's respectful of people's time & effort & describes the learner's approach respectfully as well.
Bisma NasarSocial Worker - Macungie PA, USARuss has such an interesting way of teaching concepts, he is so generous with his resources along with his time in the forum. I really loved all the therapy examples.
Virginia Farnsworth-GroddPsychologist - Auckland, New ZealandThe course is digestible, interesting, entertaining, challenging and offers a lot of material to work with. It was really helpful to watch Russ work across a number of sessions.
Natalie SutherlandSocial Worker - New Castle, NSW, AustraliaSometimes training can invite a level of seriousness that has me feeling overly cautious in applying it to my own practice but I think Russ' approach invites participants to embrace the possibilities of ACT and have a go. The material is clear and very actionable. I have found it very easy to take what I'm learning and use it in practice. I really like that each module is broken down into small "chunks" of content, this means it has been super easy to fit the course into a busy life.
Julie ReedLicensed Professional Counselor - Westlake, OhioThe course is straight to the point, so we can start applying it to our clients immediately. I enjoyed the short segments and the humor of Russ Harris the most. It is worth the money!
ACT for Perfectionism & People Pleasing is designed for mental health professionals, health professionals and coaches worldwide. On completion you'll receive a certificate of completion, which can be submitted to registration bodies for CPD.
This course is accredited for 12 CE/CME credit hours for US licensed professionals:
Psychologists - 12 CE hours, APA - co-sponsored with Amedco, an APA-approved sponsor
Social workers - 12 general CE credits, ASWB ACE
Physicians - 12 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™, ACCME
Nurses - 12 contact hours, ANCC
Counselors, MFTs & addiction professionals - 12 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.