Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) is an evidence-based behavioral framework that integrates seamlessly with coaching. At its heart is psychological flexibility—the ability to stay present, open up, and act in alignment with values, even in the presence of discomfort.
This highly interactive session introduces the six core principles of ACT—Cognitive Defusion, Contact with the Present Moment, Acceptance, Self-as-Context, Values, and Committed Action—and explores how they strengthen and expand ICF Core Competencies.
Through coaching examples and experiential practices, participants will learn how to support clients in holding thoughts lightly, opening to emotions, reconnecting with values, and taking committed action. Attendees will leave with coaching-ready tools to help clients move beyond avoidance or entanglement and into sustainable, values-based growth
Learning objectives:
1. Understand the six core principles of Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) and how they cultivate psychological flexibility in coaching clients.
2. Experience practical ACT-based exercises that can be integrated immediately into coaching conversations.
3. Apply ACT tools in ways that map directly to ICF Core Competencies, strengthening skills in maintaining presence, listening actively, evoking awareness, and facilitating client growth.
Core Competencies Addressed:
Cultivates Trust and Safety, Maintains Presence, Listens Actively, Evokes Awareness, and Facilitates Client Growth
Participants will earn 1 Core Competency and .5 Resource Development CCEs for attending this program.
Hear more from our speaker here.
About our speaker:
Jory Stillman, MA, MCC, is a Master Certified Coach (ICF), EMCC Senior Practitioner, and founder of ExpansiveCoach™, a whole-person coaching practice that supports leaders, professionals, and coaches navigating the “messy middle” of life and leadership with greater clarity, steadiness, and purpose.
Creator of the EXPANSIVE™ Approach, Jory integrates Acceptance & Commitment Training (ACT), somatic coaching, Positive Psychology, and nervous system regulation practices into a whole-person approach that fosters awareness, alignment, and sustainable growth. Her evidence-based model supports both personal transformation and professional development in coaching and leadership contexts.
An ICF Mentor Coach since 2014 and Assessor since 2017, Jory has guided more than 150 coaches in their professional development and previously served for nearly a decade as a coach trainer in ICF Level 1 and Level 2 programs. She is known for her grounded, compassionate, and integrative approach that blends professional rigor with genuine partnership while emphasizing reflective practice as a foundation for growth and mastery.
Jory is also a contributing author to the book Becoming a Coaching Supervisor and Coach Mentor and co-facilitates Mentor Coach Specialization training programs designed to support experienced coaches in developing the knowledge, skills, and reflective capacity needed for effective mentor coaching practice.