ACT for Maintaining Change: Sustaining Therapy Progress and Preventing Relapse
ACT for Maintaining Change: Sustaining Therapy Progress and Preventing Relapse
Friday, October 23, 2026
Noon to 1 pm EST
Description:
Decades after the popularization of the Stages of Change model and Motivational Interviewing, most therapies remain focused on a narrow phase of the therapy process–the Action phase. This presentation explores how principles and strategies from ACT can help clients secure the changes they have made in therapy and prevent lapses back into old patterns (the Maintenance phase).
Although the language of “relapse prevention” is most commonly associated with the treatment of substance use disorders and addictions, the underlying principles are equally relevant to psychotherapy more broadly. Clients who have made meaningful gains in therapy can find themselves slipping back into familiar patterns of thinking, behaving, avoiding, and responding to difficult emotions. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can help clients recognize and respond effectively to these patterns while sustaining the changes they have made in therapy. Particular attention will be given to the distinction between flexible, mindful awareness of warning signs and rigid or hypervigilant self-monitoring, as well as practical strategies for responding to setbacks and supporting lasting change beyond the therapy room.
Learning Objectives
After this presentation, participants will be able to:
Describe the role of relapse prevention in sustaining gains made in therapy.
Differentiate mindful awareness of warning signs from rigid or hypervigilant self-monitoring.
Summarize three strategies drawn from ACT for responding to warning signs of lapsing into old patterns.
Presenter Bio:
Joel Guarna, PhD 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 MaineHealth Endocrinology and Diabetes Center in Scarborough and as Behavioral Health Faculty Lead in the MMC Family Medicine Residency Program. He co-directed the Living Life Well Pain Rehabilitation Program at the Mercy Pain Center in Portland for 7 years. Joel ran his private practice in Portland for 18 years. In 2024, he joined Psychology Specialists of Maine (PSM) and serves as the Director of Education and Training. He continues to see a caseload of clients, working as a generalist but also specializing in addictions, chronic health and chronic pain, and serving professionals who work as “helpers” in healthcare and related settings.
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 1 (one) CE hour 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 this Certificate of Completion for documentation when renewing their license.
Need to Cancel?
Please review the Cancellation Policy for this event.