Become a More Confident, Skilled & Courageous ACT Practitioner
Grow your ACT skills faster through practice, guidance and community – inside a warm, brave space built for therapists, coaches and psychologists.
Becoming a skilled ACT Practitioner isn’t easy
Learning ACT is exciting… and the path to becoming highly 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:
- unclear
- unstructured
- overly cognitive
- hard to make experiential
- difficult to improvise with
- and sometimes… a bit lonely
Many ACT practitioners tell me a version of the same story:
“I know what ACT is supposed to look like… but in the room, I lose my way.”
And I get it. People are unique and often don’t respond well to protocolised therapy. They want your understanding, a new kind of connection and interventions that actually work for them. ACT is a creative endeavour. It takes practice and feedback.
You don’t become skilful by collecting knowledge alone.
You become skilful through repeated, supported, safe practice.
That’s why I created the ACT Training Community.
Imagine What Changes When ACT Starts to Feel Natural
Picture yourself 18 months from now:
- You’re more fluent and less hesitant
- Case formulation feels clear and grounded
- You’re braver, more experiential, more creative
- You intervene with purpose, not panic
- You feel supported rather than isolated
- You have a place to practise, reflect and grow every week
- You trust yourself more in the therapy room
This is what happens when therapists stop learning alone and start learning together.
You become steadier.
More flexible.
Braver.
And, more the version of yourself you always hoped you could become.
Meet Jim Lucas
A quick message from me
Before I tell you about the ACT Training community, I want to share something important about how we grow as ACT practitioners.
When you’re ready, scroll down – I’ll show you how this community helps you become a more confident, grounded and courageous ACT therapist.
Introducing the ACT Training Community
I created this training community to help therapists, coaches, psychologists and counsellors:
- turn ACT knowledge into ACT skill
- practise safely with kind people
- get real-time feedback
- access guidance when stuck
- and grow steadily, week after week
It’s a place to explore, experiment and cultivate your love of learning ACT. Inside, you’ll find a warm, brave, values-driven group of practitioners who care about being helpful – and who understand that learning ACT is a lifelong craft.
What You Get Inside the ACT Training Community
The developmental framework that leads to noticeably faster growth
Accelerate Your Skills with the ATM Method
Many ACT practitioners “dip” in and out of learning. That leads to inconsistent growth. The ATM Method changes that.
ASSESS
Get clear on what you’re actually doing in sessions – and what impact it’s having.
TRACK
Follow your behavioural patterns as a therapist. See what’s working, what’s not, and where you get pulled off course.
MODIFY
Make small, targeted adjustments that rapidly improve your ACT fluency.
The Values That Hold Us Together
Our training community rests on three essential values:
Kindness
Learning in front of others feels vulnerable.
Kindness makes it safe enough to experiment, risk mistakes and grow.
Appreciation
We reinforce what we want more of.
Appreciation strengthens confidence, connection and courage.
Curiosity
Curiosity dissolves judgment.
It frees you to explore ACT with playfulness, openness and humility.
These values shape the atmosphere of every session, every interaction, every practice.
Why I Started the ACT Training Community
My name is Jim Lucas, and I’m an ACBS peer-reviewed ACT Trainer based in Birmingham, UK.
Over the years, I’ve trained thousands of practitioners across the world. And here’s what I’ve seen:
Many therapists require more than information –
they need more connection, practice, feedback and support.
So in 2021, I began this training community with a simple aim:
To support the growth of fellow ACT therapists –
by developing their therapeutic expertise and increasing their effectiveness.
This community is the expression of that mission.
What Members Say
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
FREE 7-DAY TRIAL
Explore everything – all sessions, all courses, all resources – completely free. Then £34.95 per month. No contract. Cancel anytime.
Full access to everything inside the community. Discounts available for students and practitioners in low-income countries — just ask.