Third-Wave Therapy Training Guide 2026: ACBS Lyon, ISST Online, and the Road to Hong Kong 2027

The "third wave" of behavioral therapy — ACT, schema therapy, CFT, DBT — has moved from academic novelty to clinical mainstream. But training remains fragmented: ACT trained by ACBS, schema therapy by ISST, DBT by Behavioral Tech, CFT by the Compassionate Mind Foundation. For practitioners building a third-wave toolkit, knowing where and when to train matters.

ACBS Lyon 2026 (July 16–19)

The Association for Contextual Behavioral Science hosts the largest annual conference on ACT, Relational Frame Theory, and process-based therapy. Lyon 2026 offers:

• Pre-conference workshops (typically 1–2 day intensives on specific ACT applications)
• Symposia on clinical applications across populations (anxiety, chronic pain, psychosis, OCD)
• Poster sessions with the latest RCTs and process research
• CE credits available for psychologists, counselors, and social workers

For practitioners who cannot attend in person: ACBS increasingly offers virtual access to selected sessions. Check contextualscience.org for the 2026 virtual programme details.

ACBS Hong Kong 2027

The 2027 conference in Hong Kong represents the first ACBS World Conference in Asia. For Asia-Pacific practitioners — Japan, Korea, China, Australia, Southeast Asia — this eliminates the travel barrier that has kept regional practitioners from the world conference. Mark the date now; registration typically opens 6–9 months before the event.

ISST Schema Therapy Online Training

ISST-accredited programmes now offer:

• Online, case-based learning cohorts (Spring 2026 and onwards)
• Individual and group schema therapy certification tracks
• Supervision pathways that do not require geographic co-location with a supervisor
• The training is designed for licensed mental health professionals with prior therapy training

The combined pathway

ACT and schema therapy are complementary, not competing. ACT addresses present-moment psychological flexibility — defusion, values clarification, committed action. Schema therapy addresses developmental origins — early maladaptive schemas, mode patterns, limited reparenting. A practitioner trained in both can work at the process level (ACT) and the developmental level (schema therapy) depending on what the patient needs.

For your practice

For early-career clinicians deciding on a third-wave modality: attend ACBS Lyon 2026 as an immersive introduction to ACT. If you are drawn to developmental/personality-level work: pursue ISST schema therapy training online. For Asia-Pacific practitioners: ACBS Hong Kong 2027 is your window — plan ahead, budget accordingly, and consider presenting your own work. For clinicians already trained in one modality: adding the other creates a uniquely flexible clinical toolkit.