June Webinar – Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Chronic Pain in Older Adults

Presenter: Julie Wetherell, PhD, University of California at San Diego

Overview: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a psychotherapy model that deemphasizes efforts to change aversive internal experiences and prioritizes living in accordance with deeply held values, even in the presence of distress or discomfort. It is one of few therapeutic modalities that the American Psychological Association’s Division 12 (Society for Clinical Psychology) describes as having “strong research support” for chronic or persistent pain. Dr. Wetherell’s presentation will describe the ACT model and discuss the use of ACT for chronic pain, with an emphasis on factors that may make ACT particularly appropriate for older adults.