Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) Strategies for School-Related Anxiety: Building Strength, Openness & Resilience
- Speakers:
- Emily Heydt, PsyD | Matt Ercolani
- Duration:
- 1 Hour 30 Minutes
- Format:
- Audio and Video
- Copyright:
-
Aug 06, 2026
- Product Code:
- POS150907
- Media Type:
- Digital Seminar
Description
This session shows how ACT can support regulation and flexibility so students can re-engage with learning, relationships, and values despite anxiety.
In this session, you’ll learn:
- Common patterns of school-based anxiety across developmental stages and neurotypes, viewed through a nervous-system lens
- ACT processes that promote grounding, psychological flexibility, and values-aligned action under stress
- Practical tools for unhooking from worry loops, avoidance cycles, and threat-based thinking
- Strategies that strengthen resilience across academic, social, and performance-related demands
- How reassurance traps, over-accommodation, and overcorrection can inadvertently reinforce survival responses
Credit
Speaker
Emily Heydt, PsyD Related seminars and products
Dr. Emily Heydt is an expert in supporting “big behaviors in little bodies.” Her passion for this work began in high school while helping to run a baseball league for children with special needs. Since then, she has dedicated her career to empowering parents to leverage their child’s strengths and help them reach their full potential. Dr. Heydt graduated cum laude from Bucknell University before earning her Master’s and Doctorate in school psychology from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. During her time there, she continued working closely with children and families and founded a charity ball that supports local organizations making significant contributions to mental health. Today, Dr. Heydt works with children and families in a private practice near Philadelphia, continuing her mission to foster resilience and growth in young lives.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Emily Heydt has employment relationship with Eastern University and Pediatric Psychology Center of Chester County. She receives a scholarship from PCOM. Emily Heydt receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Emily Heydt is a member of the National Academy of Neuropsychology, the National Association of School Psychologists, and the Association of School Psychologists of Pennsylvania.
Matt Ercolani Related seminars and products
Matt Ercolani believes in the goodness in people, and in empowering people to use therapy to find the best in themselves. He is an expert in working with queer and trans kiddos and their families in therapeutic settings, and he utilizes Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in this work. Matt graduated magna cum laude from Rowan University with Bachelor’s degrees in both education and music. He worked as a music teacher around New Jersey, before realizing that a career change was necessary to find his calling. He went on to earn his Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from West Chester University. Today, Matt maintains a private therapy practice as a Licensed Professional Counselor, where he strives to help people grow into who they truly are. He recently published his first peer-reviewed work in the Journal of Dual Diagnosis, entitled “Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment Provider Assessment of Telehealth Effectiveness for Adults and Adolescent Service Provision During the Covid-19 Pandemic”.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Matthew Ercolani has employment relationships with Juniper Counseling and Wellness, Pediatric Psychology Center of Chester County, the College of New Jersey, Chestnut College, and Wilmington University. He is an Exam Item Analyst and Committee Member with the National Board for Certified Counselors. Matthew Ercolani receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Matthew Ercolani is a member of the American Counseling Association.
Additional Info
Access for Self-Study (Non-Interactive)Access never expires for this product.
Questions?
Visit our FAQ page at www.pesi.com/faq or contact us at www.pesi.com/info
Additional CE Info
For a more detailed outline that includes times or durations of time, if needed, please contact cepesi@pesi.com.
Objectives
- Summarize the basics of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, including the concept of defusion.
- Utilize multiple interventions and micro-interventions with children and adolescents to help them manage their mental health regarding school-related stressors.
- Define ACT-related concepts, such as the Hexaflex, for children, adolescents, and adults.
Outline
What is ACT and the Hexaflex?
- Brief overview of the hexaflex: Acceptance, Defusion, Self-as-Context, Mindfulness, Committed Action, and Values
- Foundations of ACT with children and adolescents in the context of school-related anxiety
- Brief overview of the history of ACT
School-Related Anxiety in Context
- Common stressors of school anxiety
- Noticing and normalizing school-related anxiety
- ACT to help address the anxiety
- Anxiety and Shame/Embarrassment/Guilt
Practical Interventions
- Hexaflex-based interventions
- Monsters on a Ship
- Cartoon Character Inner Voice
- Tell Your Story
- Thank Your Brain
- balloons and letting go
- what I wish my teacher knew about me
- Philosophy of ACT: thoughts and feelings are not morally good or bad
- Adapted interventions to fit client needs
Risks and Limitations
- Not originally designed for use with children and adolescents
- Unintentional minimalization of a client’s emotional experience
- Unintentional strengthening of unhelpful core beliefs
Target Audience
- Psychologists
- Social Workers
- Counselors
- Marriage & Family Therapists
- Occupational Therapists
- Physicians
- Speech-Language Pathologists
- School Administrators
Reviews
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