ACT Advanced Strategies to Increase Psychological Flexibility: Case Conceptualizations
You know the six processes. You have run the exercises and some of them landed. The harder question is which one this particular client needs on Tuesday afternoon, and most ACT training leaves you to work that out on your own.
Daniel Moran’s answer is to turn the model over. For each of the six flexibility processes there is a matching rigidity: experiential avoidance, cognitive fusion, attachment to a fixed self-story, values confusion, impulsivity or inaction, and getting stuck in the past or the future. Named together they form a case conceptualisation tool, and it works better than the flexibility side does on its own, because it tells you where a client is stuck rather than what they lack.
Six hours. The first covers the model again for anyone arriving without it, then the rest works through each rigidity with case material across trauma, substance use, anxiety and depression. It finishes on a one-page plan built around a single sentence a client can carry out of the room, and a filmed clinical example of the whole thing being delivered under pressure in about ninety seconds.
You’ll walk away with
- The six rigidity processes, and a way to work out which one is driving the presentation in front of you
- A case conceptualisation form you fill in with a client rather than about them
- Three psychological flexibility measures, used as process measures across sessions rather than as a diagnostic outcome
- A one-page action plan that compresses the whole model into a sentence a client can actually remember and use
- A values clarification exercise built around a lifetime achievement award, which reaches clients who will not engage with eulogy or epitaph versions
- A self-as-context exercise built from crossing out “I am” statements, which takes a few minutes and lands hard
- Defusion delivered through exposure, including a worked case of scrupulosity OCD with the client’s clergy in the room
- Situational awareness as an alternative framing of mindfulness, for clients and workplaces where the word itself ends the conversation
- A filmed example of ACT delivered in a crisis, with a client refusing to continue and a great deal riding on the next ninety seconds
- A redefinition of treatment success around values-consistent action, and language for explaining it to a client who came in expecting symptom reduction
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CPD Information For Mental Health Professionals
Enjoy complete flexibility with 100% self-paced learning you can access anytime, anywhere, and on any device. This course is included with your Tatra Training membership, along with every other course in the library.
Course Duration: 6 learning hours
Certificate and CPD hours: On completion you’ll receive a Certificate of Completion to support your CPD records. Your certificates are yours to keep.
Assessment: Complete a short quiz at the end (80% pass mark), which you can resit as many times as needed.
Revisit Anytime: Come back to the course as often as you like while your membership is active, whenever you want a refresher for practice.
CPD Eligibility: This program may be suitable for CPD for professionals such as:
- Psychologists
- Counsellors and Psychotherapists
- Social Workers
- Community Workers
- Mental Health Nurses
- General Practitioners (GPs)
- Occupational Therapists
CPD requirements vary between professional bodies, so please check with your association or credentialing body to confirm you can claim CPD hours/OPD points for this program and what evidence they require.
Course Content
Meet Your Instructor
Complex behavioral patterns that resist traditional therapeutic approaches often transform when clinicians learn to harness Acceptance and Commitment Therapy's powerful principles. Daniel Moran has spent over 30 years pioneering the integration of ACT with organisational psychology, sports performance, and clinical practice, becoming one of the world's leading authorities on helping people "find their why and find their way."
As Associate Professor and Director of Clinical Training at Touro University and past president of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science, Dr. Moran represents the cutting edge of behavioral science application. His co-authored book ACT in Practice is recognised as the canonical case conceptualisation manual for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, while his Finding Your Why and Finding Your Way demonstrates how mindful action planning can transform stuck clients into purposeful change agents. His recognition as a Fellow and inaugural ACT Recognised Trainer reflects his mastery of this evidence-based approach.
Dr. Moran's expertise spans ACT, applied behavior analysis, organisational behavior management, leadership coaching, and sports psychology. His unique background combines clinical psychology with board certification as a Behavior Analyst-Doctoral (BCBA-D), giving him rare insight into how behavioral principles operate across individual therapy, organisational systems, and athletic performance. He specialises in helping clients who feel directionless, unmotivated, or stuck in patterns that conflict with their values.
What sets his training apart is practical integration across settings. Moran doesn't just teach ACT techniques - he shows practitioners how to apply behavioral science principles whether working with anxious individuals, underperforming athletes, or dysfunctional organisations. His consulting work with Fortune 500 companies and appearances on major media outlets demonstrate his ability to translate complex psychological concepts into actionable strategies.
For your practice, expect to gain specific ACT intervention techniques, tools for values-based goal setting, and frameworks for helping clients build psychological flexibility. His Mindful Action Plan (MAP) approach particularly benefits clinicians working with clients who know what they want to change but struggle with sustained action.
Quick Win: Moran's "values clarification hierarchy" helps clinicians quickly identify what truly motivates clients beneath surface-level goals - often revealing the key to unlocking sustainable behavior change and increased life satisfaction.
Qualifications
- Ph.D., Clinical-School Psychology, Hofstra University, 1998
- B.A., Psychology, Marquette University, 1991
- BCBA-D, Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral, 2004
- Licensed Psychologist, New York State
- Over 30 years experience as behavioral scientist
- Clinical supervisor for 100+ health practitioners
Selected Books
- ACT in Practice: Case Conceptualization in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (co-author with Timothy Gordon, canonical ACT manual)
- Finding Your Why and Finding Your Way
- Building Safety Commitment (Behavior-Based Safety)
- Breathe and Bring the Heat (Sports psychology for athletes)
Teaching & Roles
- Chief Executive Officer, Optimize Psychological Health, November 2024–present
- Associate Professor & Director of Clinical Training, Touro University School of Health Sciences, July 2022–present
- CEO & Founder, Pickslyde Consulting, August 2008–present
- Founder, MidAmerican Psychological Institute, 2003–present
- Founder, Breathe and Bring the Heat, February 2004–present
Featured & Recognition
- Featured: The Oprah Winfrey Network, The Learning Channel, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet
- Podcast host: "Functionally Speaking"
- Psychology Today blog contributor
- Co-published articles with CBT pioneer Albert Ellis and ACT pioneer Steven Hayes
- Multiple peer-reviewed publications and book chapters
Speaking & Training
- International keynote speaker across 6 of 7 continents
- Trained organisations in all 50 U.S. states
- Thousands of hours of behavioral science and performance enhancement workshops
- Fortune 500 company consultant
- Helped organisations win APA's Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award
Ready to help clients align their actions with their deepest values? Discover how Dr. Moran's ACT-based methods can transform therapeutic stagnation into meaningful, sustainable life change.
Feedback & Reviews
This course includes:
- Lessons 5
- Topics 0
- Duration 6 hours
- Quizzes 1
- Language English