An ACT & RFT Program for Children’s Mental Health

Although contextual behavioral approaches are often hailed as transdiagnostic, there are some common presentations discussed in mainstream psychology that fail to get adequate attention from the behavioral community at large (e.g., emotional dysregulation, low self-esteem, poor social skills, and anxiety). This may be partly due to mainstream psychology’s use of mentalistic language, and partly due to a lack of consensus around functional definitions of these skills. Ultimately, this lack of attention contributes to the dearth of interventions/supports for children developing these skills in both mainstream school and in clinic settings at a time when children are experiencing very high rates of mental health distress. MAGPIES, a developmentally appropriate, neuroaffirmative, contextual behavioral program, targets these four skillsets. Aligned with its namesake, MAGPIES is a collection of the “shiniest” elements of prominent contextual behavioral approaches (e.g., acceptance and commitment therapy, relational frame theory, etc.); what seems to work best with children experiencing mental health difficulties in everyday lives and in clinic settings. MAGPIES is systematic and includes easy-to-implement protocols and strategies that teachers/clinicians/other professionals can deliver in naturalistic group settings. This workshop introduces attendees to the MAGPIES program, further outlining challenges and opportunities for growth when using contextual behavioral science in the real world.