ACT for Treating Children

Summary

If you treat children struggling with mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety, you know that approaches designed for adults do not work with younger clients. ACT for Treating Children presents skills grounded in evidence-based acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to help children regulate emotions and cope with the inevitable ups and downs of life, and is suitable for clinicians with no prior knowledge of or training in ACT, as well as seasoned ACT clinicians.



Written by an experienced educational and developmental psychologist, this practical clinician's guide outlines a simplified version of the ACT Hexaflex—a key component of this treatment model—called the Kidflex, to help young clients build resilience and psychological flexibility. You'll find strategies for involving parents in treatment when appropriate, and enlisting them as 'ACT coaches' in the child’s therapy.



It can be difficult to know where to start when using ACT for individual therapy with children. That's why the skills in this go-to guide are practical and easy-to-implement, can be done with children in both face-to-face therapy and online sessions, and are simple enough for children to put into practice in any setting—whether it's at home, in school, or out in the world.