NSCSW Lunch & Learn: Acceptance & commitment therapy for body image

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based treatment for a wide variety of presenting concerns, including concerns related to body image. In this 90-minute webinar, social workers Lee Thomas and Raquel Griffin will discuss how you can address body image concerns with your clients using the 6 key ACT concepts.

Participants will leave with increased knowledge, practical strategies, and additional resources to share with clients. Previous experience with ACT is helpful but not required.

Objectives

• Knowledge: Acquiring a general understanding of ACT’s key concepts
• Skills: Applying those concepts specifically in the context of clients with body image concerns
• Values: Understanding why body image concerns are important to address.

Speakers

Lee Thomas (they/them) MSW RSW is a therapist and social worker based in Edmonton Alberta. They work with adult clients on a variety of presenting concerns including disordered eating and body image.

Raquel Griffin (she/her) MSW RSW is a clinical social worker based in Halifax Nova Scotia. As a Certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor, Raquel primarily works with eating disorders in private practice in addition to anxiety, mood, and grief related concerns.

Lee and Raquel are co-founding members of The Aleo Collective, a group of interdisciplinary mental health practitioners who share similar values and approaches to sustainable recovery from eating disorders or disordered eating behaviours.

Eligibility

This event is only for members of the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers (NSCSW). All active, associate, retired associate, and student members are welcome to attend; our professional development programming is part of our member services funded by annual registration fees, and support safe(r) social work practice in Nova Scotia. There are no other prerequisites for this session.

Foundations

This webinar is directly related to the NSCSW Code of Ethics & Standards of Practice (2025):

Value 1: Respecting the dignity and worth of all people

• Guiding Principle 1.1: Social workers respect the inherent dignity and worth of all people.

• Guiding Principle 1.7: Social workers uphold the rights of all people to receive services in a manner that considers intersecting factors of exclusion and respects all manner of diversity.

• Guiding Principle 1.8: Social workers respect the rights of service users to make decisions based on voluntary consent when possible.

• Guiding Principle 1.9: Social workers uphold the rights of every person, group, and community to be free from violence or threat of violence.

Value 2: Promoting Social Justice

• Guiding Principle 2.1: Social workers uphold the principles of social justice related to the rights of individuals, families, groups, and communities to receive fair and equitable access to services, resources, and opportunities and to be free of oppression, racism, and discrimination.

• Guiding Principle 2.4: Social workers advocate for the rights of all individuals, families, groups, and communities to be free from oppression, exclusion, racism, and discrimination.

Value 4: Valuing Human Relationships

• Guiding Principle 4.1: Social workers place the well-being and interests of all people at the centre of their relationships.

• Guiding Principle 4.2: Social workers continually develop self-awareness and practise self-reflection to guide their practice and personal well-being.

Value 7: Providing Culturally Responsive Competent Professional Services

• Guiding Principle 7.1: Social workers are committed to the ongoing development of their professional abilities and knowledge, aiming to ensure the delivery of culturally responsive professional services.

Professional development tracking

Members of NSCSW who participate in this session can track the activity as formal professional development, under the sub-category of Webinars related to the field of social work.

Visit nscsw.org/pd for more information about the updated professional development requirements for Nova Scotian social workers.

Questions?

If you have questions about our professional development program content, please contact the College's Professional Development Consultant, Tyler Colbourne, at tyler.colbourne@nscsw.org.