Mindfulness and ACT to enhance psychological flexibility

In the past few years mindfulness and acceptance based approaches have drawn much attention as suitable interventions in sports and a growing number of sport psychologists are using these methods in their applied work (e.g. Henriksen, Hansen, & Hvid Larsen, 2019). The aim of mindfulness and acceptance based interventions is not to overpower thoughts and emotions by suppression and using control techniques, but to change the relationship to these thoughts and emotions. Participants of this short half an hour workshop will be introduced to the six core processes of Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) to enhance psychological flexibility. They will get to know examples of how to use the six core processes with athletes and experience the six ACT processes through small exercises themselves. Participants will be introduced to the work of teaching athletes to open up, accepting undesired unpleasant cognitions, emotions and sensations and mindfully engage in the present moment to follow their personal values.