ACT for Women’s Mental Health Part 2: Advanced Clinical Applications -Clock Hours: 3- (Live Training)
ACT for Women’s Mental Health Part 2: Advanced Clinical Applications -Clock Hours: 3- (Live Training)
ACT for Women’s Mental Health Part 2: Advanced Clinical Applications
(Approved for the Psychotherapy/Mental Health Track Advanced Training as well as CE for maintaining PMH-C)
$250
The Nurturing Mamas Network Training Institute has trained thousands of clinicians in Advanced Perinatal Mental Health since 2022.
Clock Hours: 3
Synchronous Distance Course
Target Audience: behavioral health and social workers who serve in the role of counseling/therapy.
Content Description:
This Advanced Level will discuss how many clinicians learn the ACT model conceptually but struggle to apply it fluidly in real therapy sessions. This advanced training focuses on the practical implementation of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) through detailed clinical case examples specific to Perinatal Clients.
Building on foundational ACT concepts, participants will explore how to use the psychological flexibility model to conceptualize client presentations and guide treatment decisions. The training demonstrates how ACT processes—including cognitive defusion, acceptance, values clarification, and committed action—can be applied in real clinical situations.
Through case-based learning, participants will observe how clinicians identify patterns of experiential avoidance and cognitive fusion, select ACT interventions, and address common treatment challenges when implementing ACT in psychotherapy.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of this course participants will be able to:
1. Identify core ACT processes, including cognitive fusion, experiential avoidance, values disruption, and behavioral restriction, within clinical case presentations.
2. Analyze client presenting concerns using the psychological flexibility model to inform ACT-based case conceptualization.
3. Apply ACT intervention strategies, including cognitive defusion, acceptance processes, and values clarification, within clinical case scenarios.
4. Differentiate between symptom-reduction approaches and ACT-consistent therapeutic interventions that promote psychological flexibility.
5. Demonstrate strategies for implementing ACT interventions during psychotherapy sessions using case-based clinical examples.
6. Evaluate common clinical barriers that arise during ACT implementation and identify strategies for addressing treatment challenges.
Participant Feedback from Previous Trainings
“I really loved this training and got so much out of it! I learned so much that I'll be implementing into my work with perinatal clients. I loved that you had us do the exercises ourselves and discuss because it really made it clear how ACT works.”
-Perinatal Mental Health Clinician
“Best online training I’ve been to in a while.”
- Licensed Professional Counselor, PMH-C
Presenter/ Instructor: Felicia Hurst M.S., LPC-S, PMH-C
Founder & National Leader in Advanced Perinatal Mental Health Training
Felicia Hurst is a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor (LPC-S) with advanced post-master’s certification in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C) and a nationally recognized leader in maternal mental health education.
For over a decade, Felicia has devoted her clinical work and professional development to supporting families through the emotional and relational challenges that may accompany infertility, pregnancy loss, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, birth trauma, and the transition into parenthood. She also works with fathers and partners, recognizing that perinatal mental health is relational and systemic — not isolated to one individual.
Her clinical approach blends evidence-informed strategies with relational depth, addressing identity shifts, anxiety, grief, attachment challenges, communication breakdowns, and the invisible mental load that often emerges in early parenthood. Felicia is especially passionate about helping couples navigate this season with greater clarity, connection, and shared understanding.
In 2022, Felicia founded The Training Institute through Nurturing Mamas Network, now a leading provider of advanced-level continuing education in perinatal mental health. Through comprehensive curriculum development, clinician mentorship, and professional supervision, she has helped deepen the expertise of providers serving families across the United States. Her institute is known for offering advanced training that moves beyond foundational certification to equip clinicians with nuanced, relationally informed, and systems-aware clinical skills.
As Founder and Program Director, Felicia continues to personally lead many of the institute’s core advanced trainings, which consistently receive strong engagement and positive participant feedback. Her leadership ensures alignment in clinical depth, relational focus, and educational standards across all programming.
Despite her national leadership role in perinatal mental health education, Felicia remains deeply committed to clinical work. She intentionally maintains a small caseload in order to provide focused, high-quality care to women and couples navigating complex perinatal experiences. Clients often seek her out for her depth of specialization, steady presence, and ability to integrate relational, emotional, and practical support in meaningful ways.
In addition to her clinical work, Felicia mentors emerging perinatal specialists, provides professional supervision, and collaborates with doulas, medical providers, and mental health professionals to strengthen multidisciplinary care. Her work bridges research, real-world application, and systems-level advocacy to elevate the standard of maternal mental health support available to families.
Felicia is known for combining clinical depth with grounded, practical tools — ensuring that both professionals and parents receive care that is evidence-informed, relationally attuned, and deeply human.
This interactive synchronous distance/live interactive(live virtual) webinar is offered on zoom on the dates listed below. Please note: registration must be completed by 10:00 p.m. CST on the day before your scheduled training session. This live webinar takes place on Zoom and is fully interactive. Attendees may ask and answer questions throughout the presentation and participate in instructor- led discussions. Course completion requirements: behavioral health and social workers must attend the entire course and complete a course evaluation to be eligible for ce credit. Certificates of completion will be emailed within 2 business days of course completion.
If a participant or potential participant would like to express a concern about his/her experience with Nurturing Mamas Network, he/she may call or e-mail Felicia Hurst at felicia@nurturingmamasnetwork.com. Although we do not guarantee a particular outcome, the individual can expect us to consider the complaint, make any necessary decisions and respond within 30 days
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Bibliography
Balsom, A., Sandberg, J. G., Scott, A., & Hatch, S. (2024). Acceptance and commitment therapy adapted for women with infertility: A pilot study of the Infertility ACTion program. Reproductive Health, 21(1), 74.(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38576027/)
Harris, R. (2020). ACT MADE SIMPLE : an easy-to-read primer on acceptance and commitment therapy.https://www.actmindfully.com.au/upimages/2016_Complete_Worksheets_for_Russ_Harris_ACT_Books.pdf
Palmqvist, A., Lindfors, P., & Broberg, A. G. (2022). Motherhood and Me (Mom-Me): Acceptance and commitment therapy for new mothers. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 11(9), 2345. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35566468/)
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TIME, TOPIC & DESCRIPTION / METHODOLOGY
00:00–00:30 Introduction & ACT Framework Review –
Brief review of the psychological flexibility model and ACT Hexaflex to orient clinicians to the framework used throughout the training. The presenter will revisit key ACT principles introduced in Part 1 and outline how ACT processes guide clinical decision making in therapy.
Lecture
00:30–01:00 Clinical Decision Making in ACT –
Exploration of how clinicians determine which ACT process to target in treatment. Participants will review common client presentations including cognitive fusion, experiential avoidance, and behavioral restriction, and learn how these patterns guide intervention selection.
Lecture + Case Example
01:00–01:30 Clinical Case Lab 1 – Conceptualization Using ACT –
Participants will examine a clinical case example and observe how the psychological flexibility model can be used to conceptualize presenting concerns. The presenter will demonstrate how patterns of avoidance, fusion, and values disruption are identified and translated into treatment targets.
Lecture + Case Analysis
01:30–02:00 Clinical Case Lab 2 – ACT Intervention Strategies –
This section focuses on applied ACT interventions including defusion techniques, acceptance strategies, and therapist language that supports psychological flexibility. Participants will observe how ACT interventions are implemented in session and how therapists maintain the ACT stance during treatment.
Lecture + Clinical Demonstration
02:00–02:30 Advanced Case Applications – Integrating ACT Processes –
Participants will review additional case examples demonstrating how multiple ACT processes may be targeted throughout the course of therapy. Discussion will include values clarification, committed action, and adapting ACT interventions to complex clinical presentations.
Lecture + Case Discussion
02:30–03:00 Clinical Integration & Troubleshooting –
The presenter will review common challenges clinicians encounter when implementing ACT interventions in practice. Participants will explore strategies for addressing treatment barriers, maintaining the ACT stance, and integrating ACT processes into ongoing clinical work.
Reflection + Group Discussion
03:00–03:05 Evaluations Completed
Participants complete course evaluations.
Non-CE Activity -
Operating Systems: windows xp or higher, macos9 or higher, android 4.0 or higher
Internet browser: Internet Explorer 9.0 or higher, google chrome, firefox 10.0 or higher
Broadband Internet connection: cable, high speed dsl & any other medium that is internet accessible.