"In 2014 Think Psychology was commissioned to provide in-service training to a team of 20 community-based Occupational Therapists working for the Powys Teaching Health Board in Wales. This experienced and skilled team have the challenging job of providing occupational therapy interventions to people with a wide range of physical health problems across a large geographical area. The team were acutely aware that many of the difficulties they faced in helping people to restore their function and regain their independence were psychological rather than physical. Examples included anxiety about using a walking aid and low mood impacting negatively on motivation to engage with treatment. Think Psychology provided two days of training aimed at improving the team’s understanding of CBT techniques, with the aim of equipping them to better address psychological issues as they arose. The main focus was on the theory and practice of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which is a cutting edge development in CBT and has a fast growing evidence base in helping people deal with physical health problems, such as chronic pain.
The feedback from the team was very positive, with average ratings for both content and presentation above 90%.
Subsequent to the training, we discussed ways of supporting the team in the practical application of the knowledge and skills they had learned through an ongoing training and/or supervision relationship".
