Extension Course
ACT in Society Lab

The ACT in Society Lab is an Extension Course and a workgroup aimed at implementing ACT-based psychological interventions in society. The course/workgroup proposes a model of psychology practice beyond the clinical setting, using strategies that enable interventions related to social issues in a scalable manner, making psychological health and quality of life more accessible. This semester, we will be working with Russ Harris' group-based protocol for stress recommended by the WHO: "Doing What Matters in Times of Stress." The target population will be schools, companies, and other contexts chosen by the participants where there is a need to improve quality of life, learn stress, anxiety, and depression management, and dealing with challenging emotions. Participants will choose the social issue they want to intervene in, and the course will guide the strategies for implementation, training, project execution, data collection, and communication of results.

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Participants of the course will have the option to participate in the research investigating the effects of this protocol.

Prerequisites: Attend the ACT in Society Extension Course: Education Edition Online or have attended it live in the second semester of 2022. This course provides the training for the protocol that will be implemented in the ACT in Society Lab Extension Course.

Course Syllabus

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- Course and ACT in Society project introduction

- Defining the target population, context, and purpose of the intervention

- Institutional meetings and strategies for group formation

- Initial meetings, preliminary interventions, research, and safety considerations

- Group initiation and facilitation issues

- Group completion

- Additional strategies for support, networking with local resources

- Course conclusion