2024 / 11 / 16 UK and Republic of Ireland ACBS Chapter Conference

Register for the conference by clicking here!

Cost – Early Bird Rate

The early rate is available until August 31st 2024.

Member 2 days = £280

Member 1 day = £140

Non-Member 2 days = £320

Non-member 1 day = £170

Student 2 days = £180

Student 1 day = £90

Cost – Post Early Bird Rate

Member 2 days = £320

Member 1 day = £170

Non-Member 2 days = £350

Non-member 1 day = £195

Student 2 days = £210

Student 1 day = £120

Introduction

On 16th and 17th of November 2024, we’re holding our bi-annual chapter conference, and we’ve good reason to believe that this event is going to be our largest yet! The theme of the event will be: Expanding Horizons: Nurturing Connections and Growth in Contextual Behavioural Science. We’re delighted to inform you that we have 4 excellent plenary speakers lined up, who have done incredible work and who are all members of the UK and Republic of Ireland ACBS Chapter. They are:

• Risca Solomon
• Joe Oliver
• Jessica Kingston
• Naoko Kishita

Bio’s and abstracts for the plenary speakers are below, as is some information about local hotels. Finally, the submission portal for papers / symposium / workshops etc closed on 15th March 2024 but you are able to submit to present a poster until 30th September via the link below:

Make a poster submission by clicking here!

Plenary Speakers

Naoko Kishita, Ph.D.

Biography

Dr Naoko Kishita is an Associate Professor in Dementia and Complexity in Later Life at the University of East Anglia, UK. She is a clinical psychologist by background with a PhD in Psychology. Following the completion of her PhD in Japan, she spent one year at the University of Galway, Ireland as a postdoctoral fellow continuing her research in ACT and RFT before moving to the UK in 2014. She has over 15 years of research and clinical experience in mental health care with a particular focus on dementia family carers, older people and later-life mental health. She has a particular interest in using technology to deliver psychosocial interventions to improve accessibility and equality of opportunities for care, including reaching out to individuals from disadvantaged groups such as family carers from ethnic minority groups. She has been awarded more than £1.4 million grant from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) in the last few years to develop internet-delivered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for diverse family carers of people living with dementia.

Title and Abstract of Talk

Caring for Carers: Internet-delivered Self-help Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Family Carers of People Living with Dementia (iACT4CARERS) The current annual economic cost of dementia in the UK is estimated at £26.3 billion. Notably, 44% of this annual economic cost of dementia is contributed by unpaid informal carers, predominantly family members, highlighting the crucial role played by family carers in supporting individuals living with dementia. Although there are various positive aspects of caregiving, the psychological and physical demands of caregiving can significantly affect the psychological wellbeing of family carers. Despite the high prevalence of anxiety and depression, dementia family carers are currently under-provided for by NHS psychological services. This is compounded for family carers from ethnic minority groups who receive the least dementia carer support in the UK. This talk will introduce the recent developments of the internet-delivered self-help Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for family carers (iACT4CARERS) project and share learnings from recently completed feasibility and acceptability studies and an ongoing national clinical trial of iACT4CARERS. The aim is to explore ways to better support families affected dementia, including those from disadvantaged groups.

Jessica Kingston, DClinPsych.

Biography

Dr Jessica Kingston is a Clinical Psychologist, Senior Lecturer, and joint Research Director on the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology Programme at Royal Holloway, University of London. Her PhD pioneered research on ACT for clients with treatment resistant psychological difficulties, living in the UK. Subsequently, Dr. Kingston has developed and contributed to the development of third wave interventions for individuals with mild to severe mental health difficulties, including mindfulness for persecutory delusions, values-focused rehabilitation for inpatients and community dwellers with acquired brain injury, and online ACT interventions for mood in the context of health conditions. Dr. Kingston has conducted a series of experimental studies using ACT to understand and treat paranoia beliefs in emerging adults and her current work focuses on extending this to understanding and treating paranoid cognitions in adolescents.

Title and Abstract of Talk

Using Contextual Behavioural Processes to Enhance life meaning, wellbeing, and trust, inside and outside the clinic. A defining feature of contextual behavioural science (CBS) has been its potential for, and commitment to, promoting meaningful life outcomes for individuals with diverse life difficulties. How might CBS principles be used to enhance the capacity to trust others, even in the context of severe mental ill-health? And how can these processes be harnessed to promote wellbeing amidst the significant and life limiting impact of brain injury and physical health conditions? This plenary will consider findings from a collection of experimental studies, conducted both inside and outside of the clinic, to explore the potential for life enhancing changes, even when delivered as brief interventions. A series of experimental studies on using values and mindfulness to promote our capacity to trust others will be presented, spanning research on school children and undergraduates with mild to moderate paranoid concerns, to those with severe and enduring persecutory delusions. (The application of online mindfulness and values interventions for depression, and adjustment to cancer and diabetes will be presented, demonstrating the potential for promising changes using low cost, online interventions). Finally, preliminary data will be presented on using values and value-based goals to help individuals living in the community and adjusting to the effects of an acquired brain injury.

Joe Oliver, DClinPsych.

Biography

Dr Joe Oliver is a clinical psychologist and founder of Contextual Consulting, who provide ACT training, supervision and therapy. He is also an associate professor and overall programme director at University College London. Joe previously held the position as secretary on the ACBS UK & Republic of Ireland Chapter Board. He is a peer reviewed ACT trainer and an ACBS fellow. Joe has written a number of ACT books and regularly provides ACT training, both nationally and internationally.

Title and Abstract of Talk

Back to the Future: Exploring the history of ACBS UK and Ireland to strengthen community belonging and purpose. Our journey through the past reveals our community’s heritage, providing valuable insights into key historical moments and the legacies they have left. Without Marty McFly’s DeLorean time machine, we turn to extensive interviews with those people instrumental in the development of the ACBS community in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Through this lens, we can reflect on our community’s formation in the face of challenges, adversity, excitement, and hope, and uncover the very DNA that defines us. By understanding the events that shaped the ACBS community and the ethos, values, and commitment that underlie it, we can illuminate our shared narrative, our “Us Story.” Join me in this talk as I set out narrative that could serve as the foundation for building and strengthening our community, fostering a sense of true belonging and shared purpose.

Risca Solomon, BCBA.

Biography

Risca Solomon is a Behaviour Analyst and founder of Skybound Therapies Ltd, an interdisciplinary therapy company for children and adults with developmental disabilities. Risca has over 20 years experience in the field of Behaviour Analysis, from clinical application with individuals across the age range with a variety of diagnoses, to organisational behaviour management.

Title and Abstract of Talk

Using Contextual Behaviour Science everywhere, all at once: Applying RFT to all levels of an interdisciplinary therapy service. From early intervention with young children to managing the trials and tribulations of being a teenager; from empowering parents and carers to increasing resilience with staff; contextual behaviour science is embedded throughout our organisation. Relational Frame Theory (RFT) has changed our entire practice, from clinical application to strategic planning. For individuals with developmental disabilities, the inability to derive relations presents as a significant barrier to all learning but for parents, carers and staff members, the ability to derive relations can present barriers to meaningful action. This talk will discuss the ways we teach individuals with learning disabilities to learn, by deriving relations, and some of the barriers we have needed to overcome. Once the ability to derive relations is learned, we begin teaching the ability to label stimuli from external to internal, building the foundation for noticing and naming. In this talk, I will also explore our many other applications with clients and their families including using RFT based functional assessment interviews, helping the family to identify their values for their loved one and identifying goals for therapeutic intervention. I will give examples of how, within our team of staff, we have implemented RFT approaches throughout, including values-based job descriptions, supervisions and appraisals, and ACT-based wellbeing initiatives.

Hotels nearest the ACBS UK & ROI Conference Venue (WCH 0AL)

All hotels are no more than a 10-minute walk from the Conference venue.

1. City Sleeper at Royal National Hotel (rated at 8.1 on Booking.com, 2 nights stay for 1 person costs approx £388 B&B)
2. Morton Hotel (rated at 8.1 on Booking.com, 2 nights stay for 1 person costs approx £470 B&B)
3. Tavistock Hotel (rated at 7.6 on Booking.com, 2 nights stay for 1 person costs approx £300 B&B)
4. Holiday Inn Bloomsbury (rated at 7.9 on Booking.com, 2 nights stay for 1 person costs approx £491 B&B)
5. President Hotel (rated at 7.3 on Booking.com, 2 nights stay for 1 person costs approx £306 B&B)
6. Arosfa Hotel (rated at 7.9 on Booking.com, 2 nights stay for 1 person costs approx £342 B&B)
7. Staunton Hotel (rated at 8.5 on Booking.com, 2 nights stay for 1 person costs approx £412 B&B)
8. Mecure London Bloomsbury Hotel (rated at 7.3 on Booking.com, 2 nights stay for 1 person costs approx £402 B&B)
9. Studios2let (rated at 7.6 on Booking.com, 2 nights stay for 1 person costs approx £241)
10. The Wesley Euston (rated at 7.3 on Booking.com, 2 nights stay for 1 person costs approx £369 B&B)
11. Hub by Premiere Inn London Camden 2 nights stay for 1 person costs from £220.
12. Smart Russell Square Hostel shared rooms with shared facilities from £44 per night

This is a selection of hotels found nearest the venue, they are not recommended by ACBS UK & ROI merely suggested!