ACT Learning Centre
Turn your ACT knowledge into skillful clinical practice
Develop a more instinctive, embodied and effective way of working with ACT through structured learning, weekly practice, expert guidance and a community of practitioners learning alongside you.
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Get 2 months free with an annual membership.
Learn – Practise – Reflect
- Weekly ACT practice sessions
- Case conceptualisation clinics
- Monthly learning themes
- Courses and practical resources
- Support from an ACBS Peer-Reviewed ACT Trainer
- A supportive international community of ACT practitioners
The ACT Learning Centre is the ONLY online ACT training community with year-round access to an ACBS Peer-reviewed ACT Trainer
Understanding ACT is not enough to create change
Many ACT practitioners I’ve spoken to say they understand ACT theoretically, but they can still feel unsure about what to do in the room. The path to becoming more skilled is full of fear, frustration and uncertainty.
You read the books, you attend workshops, and you understand the model intellectually, but when you sit with a real client, things often feel different. You might wonder:
- What should I focus on?
- Which ACT process is most important?
- How do I go from talking about ACT to doing it?
- When should I validate my client’s experience versus encouraging them to do something uncomfortable?
- Why are they not making progress?
- Would another therapist do a better job?
Sometimes you notice yourself searching for the right technique.
Sometimes the session becomes more analytical than experiential.
And sometimes you’re working with a client who seems genuinely stuck and you begin to wonder whether you’re helping at all.
That gap between understanding ACT and using it flexibly in real clinical work is a natural and inevitable part of your professional development. You don’t become skilful by collecting knowledge alone. You become skilful through repeated, supported, safe practice.
That’s what the ACT Learning Centre is designed to help you do.
Bridge the Gap
Imagine sitting with a client you’ve found difficult to help.
Something happens in the session that you might previously have missed.
Instead of searching your mind for the right ACT technique, you notice it.
You slow down.
You become curious about what is happening between you.
You make a purposeful choice and try something.
It may work. It may not.
But rather than becoming lost when the client responds unexpectedly, you can stay present, learn from what happens and adapt.
Over time, ACT starts to feel less like a model you’re trying to remember and more like a way of seeing, listening and responding.
More instinctive
You recognise clinically important moments more readily and have a clearer sense of where to focus.
More embodied
ACT shows up not only in the techniques you use, but in how you listen, respond, model flexibility and participate in the therapeutic relationship.
More effective
You make more purposeful clinical choices, adapt when things don’t go according to plan and become better equipped to help clients who feel deeply stuck.
You won’t always know exactly what to do.
That isn’t the goal.
The goal is to become the kind of practitioner who can notice, respond, learn and adjust when the work becomes difficult.
Professional Development through a simple and repeatable rhythm
There is a difference between learning about a skill and developing the ability to use it when it matters.
That requires repetition. It requires feedback.
And it helps enormously to practise alongside other people who are trying to get better too.
LEARN
Explore a monthly theme, course, book, model or clinical idea.
PRACTISE
Rehearse skills in live sessions and try them in real clinical work.
REFLECT
Bring back what happened, discuss cases, get feedback and decide what to refine next.
Learning sticks when it’s shared.
Communities of Practice are linked with higher engagement and collaboration, while self-directed learning requires high personal initiative, so outcomes vary.
That’s why the ACT Learning Centre is built as a community first: structured to help you focus, live meetings to support your progress, and feedback that helps skills take shape.
Take Your Next Step
The Openforwards ACT Learning Centre is your hub for building confidence with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. We focus on learning one skill at a time and putting it into practice.
With structured resources, guided practices, and a community of support, you can build your ACT skills steadily and sustainably.
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Get 2 months free with an annual membership.
A structured rhythm that allows you to keep improving
Professional development is easier to sustain when it has a rhythm.
Inside the ACT Learning Centre, each month gives you something clear to focus on, regular opportunities to practise, and space to reflect on what is happening in your clinical work.
You do not need to attend everything. And I don’t want to overwhelm you with too much.
My aim is to give you a reliable structure you can return to when you want to learn, practise, reflect or reconnect.
Monthly Theme
LEARN
Each month we focus on one area of ACT practice. Explore the theme through practical resources, reflective prompts, demonstrations and conversations designed to help you build your skills.
Rather than trying to improve everything at once, you have one useful focus to return to throughout the month.
Weekly Practice Session
PRACTISE
A regular opportunity to develop ACT skills through role-play and demonstration.
You can participate directly, observe others or simply listen at first.
The emphasis is on trying things out, noticing what happens and gradually building greater fluency.
Case Conceptualisation Clinic
REFLECT
Bring a client, a difficult moment or a question from your clinical work.
Together, we slow things down, explore what may be happening and consider different ways of responding. This helps you think more clearly about your work and identify what you might try next.
Monthly Book Club
EXPLORE
Step back from immediate clinical problems and explore ideas that can deepen your understanding of ACT and contextual behavioural science.
These sessions create space for broader discussion, new perspectives and connection with other practitioners.
Continue at your own pace
Between live sessions, you can use the Practice Hub, courses, recordings, resources and community discussions whenever they are useful to you.
Some months you may engage deeply with the theme. Other months you may simply join a practice session or bring a case to the clinic.
There is no requirement to attend every week.
The Learning Centre is designed to support your development over time, not become another source of pressure.
Meet the Founder
Jim Lucas
ACBS Peer-reviewed ACT Trainer, Consultant, Supervisor, Author and Therapist since 2003.
Jim has mentored and taught many therapists to effectively integrate ACT into their practice (after thinking he’ll never be as good as his teachers).
“Moving from theory to practice can be highly challenging, mainly when working with clients with unique complexities. I recognise the uncertainty from the early years of practising a new model.
After many hours of therapy practice, working closely with ACT experts, and applying it personally, I have come to know ACT intimately. I truly appreciate the opportunity to share my insights and show therapists how to help clients build psychological flexibility.”
Jim has already helped many ACT practitioners
Read about their experiences of working with Jim in the ACT Learning Centre training community.
I highly recommend Jim and OpenForwards! I have participated in multiple of his groups over the past two years, where I was fortunate to take part in experiential group exercises led by Jim. I learned tremendously from the sessions and now have a much stronger foundation in my ACT practice. Jim has a unique talent for clarifying and simplifying the core principles, making complex ideas much more accessible. His approach was key to my growth, positively affecting both my life and my clients’ lives. He is also a person of incredible patience, sensitivity, and gentleness. All of these qualities enriched my experience in his groups.
After my initial ACT training I wasn’t confident enough or practised enough to take my new skills into the therapy room. I joined this group half-heartedly, not fully committed and not expecting much. Over time, I have come to really look forward to…the sessions. My skill set has definitely improved and I have introduced ACT successfully into my practice. I’ve so much more to learn and am excited at the prospect. Jim is very generous in sharing his knowledge and the group has become a very safe and supportive space in which to learn.
I wanted to join the Openforwards group with Jim as I was transitioning work roles and I was looking for a community to support me…and further my ACT skills. I had done a lot of ACT training and bought a lot of books and wanted to link the learnings with my practice. As the saying goes, practice makes permanent. I am so glad I joined the group as it is a supportive, encouraging space I look forward to each week where Jim skillfully and clearly guides us toward becoming more effective ACT practitioners. I highly recommend this group.
Jim’s weekly sessions have been very helpful at “taking me where I am at” and are a haven to go to whenever I’m stuck with a particular clinical challenge. His website is also a wealth of ACT resources. I’ve benefitted from the support and camradery of (the group) as we work on building our skills together. I would highly recommend Openforwards to those that are seeking to build their ACT skills as its an investment in yourself and your clients.
As someone who learned ACT from books and online trainings, I was looking for a way to transform my book knowledge into clinical practice. The ACT practitioner group totally serves this purpose. The weekly meetings have improved my clinical skills exponentially in a short amount of time. The community provides the opportunity to learn first from Jim’s wealth of practical knowledge and insight. I am so happy that I found this group.
Before joining the community I was feeling a bit isolated as I work in private practice online from home. I had no colleagues to learn from and did not have any professional support. This is what motivated me to join the community and I’m very glad I did. I love the weekly meetings that give an opportunity to practice my ACT skills and learn from other colleagues. I would definitely recommend this community to any mental health practitioner looking to build their ACT skills in a friendly and supportive environment.
Delivered Training For
Trusted by hundreds of ACT practitioners across the UK and beyond.
Ready to build your ACT Expertise together?
Here are the first three steps:
Frequently Asked Questions
Not at all. Basic knowledge helps, but many members are early-stage learners.
You’ll grow quickly through observation, practice and gentle guidance.
Only when you’re ready.
Most people begin by watching – and gradually take small, courageous steps forward.
You’re still welcome.
You’ll learn through others’ cases, role-plays and shared conceptualisation.
No. It’s ongoing, experiential development – the place where ACT skills actually take root.
That worry is natural and quite common.
But in this community, kindness is our currency.
No shaming. No showing-off.
Just people learning together.
All times are UK, with global members attending live. We don’t record live sessions (except Book Club and workshops)
Start with a free 7-day trial. Cancel anytime before the trial ends and you won’t be charged.
Are you ready to work together?
Learn to put the doubt whisperer aside and build your ACT expertise. Develop your style and confidence in working with complexity.
The NINE-STEP Programme that BUILDS YOUR CONFIDENCE, CONSISTENCY AND SKILL IN REAL CLINICAL SESSIONS.
Advanced ACT Training
A Six-Month Advanced ACT Training Programme for advanced beginners and beyond who want move beyond introductory ACT and use it more skilfully. Includes video-based curriculum, weekly group coaching sessions and unlimited 1:1 meetings with Jim.
ACT Supervision & Consultation
Work 1:1 with Jim to sharpen functional analyses, build your experiential confidence, and develop an ACT style that feels like you.
ACT Training Days
Practical ACT training for NHS and healthcare teams delivering psychological interventions.
Whether your team works in pain services, physical health, talking therapies, mental health, or long-term conditions, training can be tailored to your service, your population, and your team’s level of experience.
the act therapist’s guide
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