Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: Impactful Strategies from 25 Years of ACT in Practice
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: Impactful Strategies from 25 Years of ACT in Practice
Early Registration rate good through Friday, December 19, 2025
Friday, January 23, 2026
9:00 AM to 12:15 PM EST
Live Webinar via Zoom
3 CEs
About ACT
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a contemporary form of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) designed to help people respond more effectively to a wide range of life challenges. ACT offers a comprehensive model of human functioning and change, supported by a rich set of metaphors and experiential exercises. These tools help clients (a) relinquish unworkable change strategies, (b) approach thoughts, feelings, and other private experiences they have feared or avoided, (c) reconnect with deeply held values that guide and motivate change, and (d) experience their struggles in a more workable way—allowing them to move toward meaningful action now.
ACT is more than a set of therapeutic techniques; it offers a way of understanding human suffering and human possibility.
This Workshop
In the past, when preparing ACT workshops, I usually began with the theoretical model—the concepts and processes that form the foundation of the approach. This time, however, I began with a project of reflecting on 25 years of using ACT in clinical practice, asking what the work has actually been like in the therapy room and what has genuinely helped the people I met there. This presentation emerges from that different starting point, guided by a few essential questions: What has truly worked? What has helped people suffer less and thrive more? What strategies have reliably created real-world impact? This workshop will provide an entry—or a re-entry—into the heart of ACT: a practical, flexible set of strategies rooted in compassion, values, and a clear-eyed understanding of human suffering and change. It will serve as a solid starting point for those new to ACT and a useful reminder and re-orientation for those who have been using the model for years.
Note: This is a stand-alone workshop that requires no previous exposure to ACT. However, given the scope of the topic, it is likely to be the first in a series of two or three such presentations.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
Describe the core ACT concept of “behavioral flexibility” in simple terms readily understood by a peer therapist.
Describe the ACT concept of “the myth of healthy normality” and explain how it contrasts with more traditional understandings of emotional distress and psychopathology.
Explain the central role of experiential avoidance in ACT conceptualizations of human struggle.
Describe the concept of a “comfort trap.”
Explain the ACT concept of the “inside-out” trap in simple terms readily understood by a client.
Demonstrate a cognitive defusion intervention that can be used immediately with a current client.
Explain why pain and suffering are (at least seemingly/subjectively) more powerful than values–and what to do about this.
Describe a behavioral experiment (homework) to help clients differentiate non-acceptance from acceptance or allowing.
Bio – Joel Guarna, PhD
Joel Guarna is a licensed psychologist in the state of Maine. He earned his PhD from Bowling Green State University in 2000 and trained at the Boston Consortium in Clinical Psychology. He later served as a staff psychologist in the VA Healthcare System in Boston. He has worked in a variety of medical settings including the MMC Diabetes Center in Scarborough and the Mercy Pain Center. He was a Clinical Assistant Professor at Tufts University School of Medicine while serving as Behavioral Health Faculty Lead at the MMC Family Medicine Residency. Joel ran his private practice in Portland for 18 years. In 2024, he joined Psychology Specialists of Maine (PSM) as Director of Education and Training, where he coordinates a variety of educational experiences and continues to see a caseload of clients. Joel has been a student of ACT since 1999 and has given over 50 presentations on ACT both locally and at regional and international conferences from Seattle to London. He is a founding member of the Southern Maine ACT (SMACT) community and remains active in leading study groups and providing consultation through SMACT.
Continuing education
Psychology Specialists of Maine (PSM) has been designated by the Maine Board of Examiners of Psychologists as a pre-approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists in Maine. This program has been approved for 3 (three) CE hour(s) of Category One CE credits. Our programs are led by experts and specialists who provide advanced clinical training focused on expanding interventions and techniques for therapists in agencies and private practice. This program was designed to meet the continuing education requirements of psychologists, counselors, and social workers licensed in Maine. All participants are requested to retain a copy of the event flyer and Certificate of Completion for documentation when renewing their license.
Need to Cancel?
Please review the Cancellation Policy for this event.