ACT For Chronic Pain

A 90 minute webinar on ACT for Chronic Pain Workshop with John Moffat: An introduction for health professionals of any discipline.

Chronic pain affects one in five people. The pain and the secondary
psychological and behavioural effects cost the individual and society
significantly. Chronic pain is notoriously resistant to traditional
biomedical treatment. It is best conceptualised as a long-term medical
condition that requires self-management. Evidence supports the use of
non-pharmacological methods to improve participation in daily activities and
enhance the quality of life, despite the presence of ongoing pain.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has emerged as an evidence-supported
way of helping pain sufferers self-manage their behaviour guided by their
values. The primary aim is to alter behaviour by changing the way people
relate to their pain and pain-reactive thoughts and feelings. This is
facilitated by the use of core ACT processes: acceptance, defusion,
committed action, presence, self-as context, and values clarification. This
webinar will equip health professionals with the knowledge and skills to
integrate ACT into their clinical practice and to improve outcomes for
chronic pain sufferers. Attendees are expected to have attended an
Introduction to ACT workshop or at least be familiar with the six ACT
processes in the Hexaflex.


About the presenter:

John Moffat is a clinical psychologist with a special interest in the
application of ACT in behavioural health, particularly with people suffering
from chronic pain and other persistent medical issues. He has extensive pain
management experience within the public and private healthcare systems, and
developed a group-based ACT programme for chronic pain in 2012. John worked
in Capital & Coast DHB Pain Service and as Lead Clinical Psychologist with
TBI Health, one of New Zealand's largest integrated healthcare providers. He
is currently the Clinical Manager at the Victoria University of Wellington
Clinical Psychology Programme.