ACT in Exploration and Application: Uncloaking the 6 Tenets of Complete Healing
A client will not drive over a bridge. They have never fallen off one, never had an accident on one, never known anyone who did. Nothing happened to them. Words did, and the words work on them the same way a real fall would.
That is where Daniel Moran starts, and it is what the word uncloaking in the title is doing. Plenty of ACT training hands you the exercises and sends you off to try them. This one spends its time on where they come from: how human language actually works, why a thought can punish someone who was never punished, and why some very sensible-looking coping strategies turn out to be the thing keeping the problem alive. Knowing the mechanism is what lets you pick an intervention rather than reach for whichever one you remember.
Six hours through the six ACT processes, each with exercises, metaphors and case material drawn from substance use, social phobia, OCD, depression, anxiety and anger. He is also clear from the first ten minutes about what this is not. ACT is not there to replace what you already do well. Whatever is working in your practice keeps working, and this is aimed at the gaps around it.
You’ll walk away with
- An explanation for why language hurts people who were never directly hurt, which finally makes sense of the clients whose fear has no event behind it
- The six ACT processes, each with an exercise or metaphor you can use in your next session
- A way to spot experiential avoidance across diagnoses, and to see when a client’s coping strategy is the thing maintaining the problem
- The finger cuff metaphor for acceptance, plus alternatives for the clients who will not take to it
- Values work that gives a client a reason to keep doing difficult things long after the initial change has worn off
- Defusion exercises that put distance between a thought and the action it appears to demand
- Mindfulness framed as practical rather than contemplative, for clients and settings where the word itself closes the conversation
- A different definition of treatment success, based on whether the client acted on what matters to them rather than on whether symptoms dropped
- A way to run ACT alongside CBT and behaviour therapy rather than instead of them
- Access to the scripts, worksheets and assessments used throughout, which he provides free on request
Watch the course trailer
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