A virtual therapy course for family carers of people living with Huntington’s disease where their loved one is in a care home.

We are pleased to invite you to our virtual course for family carers of people living with Huntington’s disease where their loved one is in a care home. The course will be run by Sarah Gunn, a clinical psychologist and researcher at the University of Leicester, and will be based on the principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. 

This is an opportunity to explore the difficulties that can be associated with living with Huntington's, to identify the values that matter most to you, and for you to think about how to move towards a richer and more valued life than you may have now.

This is an eight-week course running from Thursday 6 February to Thursday 27 March 2025. The sessions will be on a Thursday afternoon from 1.00pm-2.30pm (please note session seven will be held on Wednesday 19 March instead). Although things can come up, we would ask that you commit to at least seven of these sessions. There will be the opportunity to join a follow-up support group.

Register your place

What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is a therapeutic approach which focuses on learning to manage difficult thoughts and feelings, and to live a life which feels valuable and meaningful despite the struggles we encounter. This is an opportunity to explore the difficulties that can be associated with being gene positive for Huntington’s disease, to identify the values that matter most to you, and for you to think about how to move towards a more rich and valued life than you may have now.

Course outline

• Week one: Introductions: To ACT, to the programme and to each other

• Week two: Impacts of Huntington’s on the “carer”* and wider family

• Week three: Psychological wellbeing and Huntington’s

• Week four: Coping and adjustment: Living with, not battling against

• Week five: What matters to you: Finding your values

• Week six: Moving forward: Taking steps to align with your values

• Week seven: Living a valued life alongside Huntington’s: Plans and coping strategies

• Week eight: Reflection and ending: What’s next?

*Note: Some people don’t like this term, so here we’re using it in quote marks. During the course, we will
discuss which term would be preferred by the people attending.

Please note that this course is also forming part of a wider research study into the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and there will be questionnaires sent to complete at various points during the course as part of this. One of our advisers will be in touch prior to start of the course to discuss this further, and will be able to answer any questions you might have.