Building on the Basics: ACT Impactful Strategies Part 2
Presented by Joel Guarna, PhD
Hosted by Psychology Specialists of Maine
This workshop will pick up where Part 1 left off. Joel will share additional examples of “lessons learned” about ACT best practices from using ACT in various settings: a 10-week ACT-based program in a local pain clinic, behavioral integration work in a diabetes clinic, individual therapy in a private practice, and a VA addictions clinic. We will dive more deeply into the six ACT core processes of Acceptance, Defusion, Values, Committed Action, Present Moment Awareness, and Self-as-Context. Part 2 will extend the learning of content back onto participants’ own cases, challenging participants to think through and conceptualize from an ACT lens.
Register for Building on the Basics: ACT Impactful Strategies Part 2
3 CEs for psychologists, social workers, and counselors in Maine.
(Missed Part 1? You can take it as a Recorded Webinar here.)
Community BBQ
SAVE THE DATE! Times are placeholders only; check back for details.
Who? SMACT members and family, lurkers and future SMACT members…
Location & other details pending.
Fall Retreat 2026 -- SAVE THE DATE!
Check back (and watch your email) for the official registration page once registration is open.
1st Mondays ACT Study Group, June
Facilitated by Joel Guarna, PhD.
Status of Group: Closed. Please contact Joel if you want to join another study group or be on a waitlist for an opening. Group usually meets on the first Monday of each month, alternating between Zoom and in-person (see below).
Agenda:
TBD; bring a case!
Location: Virtual
Future:
Tentative plan: We will resume virtual (Zoom) meetings monthly.
ACT Peer Consultation Group, May
Our no-cost, open group for professionals interested in connecting with others while learning ACT.
Group usually meets on the third Friday of each month. Peer group in May 2026 moved to 4th Friday to avoid the SMACT Training Event on 5/15.
Format varies but includes discussion of ACT concepts and strategies, case consultations, and a wide range of other topics. Groups are currently meeting on Zoom.
This meeting will be hosted by Joel. Please email him with questions or agenda items.
Possible Agenda items:
TBD
We always prioritize salient and pressing concerns, questions, and topics!
Bring a case!
4th Mondays ACT Study Group, May
Facilitated by Joel Guarna, PhD.
Group usually meets on the 4th Monday of each month (hence the name).
Moved the date to 3rd Monday in May to avoid Memorial Day!
Status of Group: Full/closed. Please contact Joel if you want to be on a waitlist for an opening.
Potential Agenda:
TBD, bring a case!
Training Event
“How Is That Working for You?”
A Functional, Affirming Approach to Adult ADHD
Integrating ACT and CBT-EF for Sustainable Change
Christie Pickel, PhD
See Registration Page for details
EvoS Book Club, May
Evolution Science & Behavior (EvoS) Book Club.
We usually meet on the (second or) third Wednesday evening of each month (more or less!).
Agenda. This season we will take another of our detours off the strict EvoS theme to read The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan.
We will read through and complete the book for May.
Please RSVP if you are new to the group.
Time: Now meeting in-person at +/- 6:00-6:30 pm at local restaurants.
Location: TBD. Watch for a separate email or text with reminder about address.
BTW: Get a taste of what EvoS Book Club is about by watching this video (whole video but relevance especially demonstrated >1:00 into the talk).
Private Practice Salon, May 2026
Our beloved Private Practice Salon is being held on May 8th from 8-9am. This is the space to share your insights, questions, thoughts, musings about private practice and all its wonders. There are so many pieces other than the clinical inquiries to running and maintaining a private practice in our modern world. Please join us in this welcoming group to shine the light of awareness on your practice (or future practice).
Watch for Email Invitation for this Virtual Group via Google Meets.
Please email Kate with any questions.
Plan is to meet quarterly. Stay tuned!
Agenda: Open
Cost: No charge to SMACT members.
1st Mondays ACT Study Group, May
Facilitated by Joel Guarna, PhD.
Status of Group: Closed. Please contact Joel if you want to join another study group or be on a waitlist for an opening. Group usually meets on the first Monday of each month, alternating between Zoom and in-person (see below).
Agenda:
TBD; bring a case!
Location: Virtual
Future:
Tentative plan: We will resume virtual (Zoom) meetings monthly.
Unlocking the Power of Small Circles: A 2-Day Experiential Workshop
Unlocking the Power of Small Circles: A 2-Day Experiential Workshop
The Art and Science of Healing Groups
The healing power of groups is foundational to substance abuse, mental health, and behavioral healthcare. While the focus of a group may vary, the underlying processes of group work are universal. This active, 2-day workshop demonstrates how to harness these universal dynamics to turn a group of strangers into a powerful circle of support and growth.
Built on the six core processes of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)—defusion, expansion, presence, perspective, values, and committed action—this training builds the confidence of both beginner and experienced facilitators. Through a mix of neurobiology, evolution, and hands-on practice, you will learn to step back for a broader view of group functioning while leaning in to address real-world challenges.
Facilitated by Teresa Valliere, LCSW, LADC, CCS
EvoS Book Club, April
Evolution Science & Behavior (EvoS) Book Club.
We usually meet on the (second or) third Wednesday evening of each month (more or less!).
Agenda. This season we will take another of our detours off the strict EvoS theme to read The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan.
We will read through the THIRD six chapters of this book for April.
Please RSVP if you are new to the group.
Time: Now meeting in-person at +/- 6:00-6:30 pm at local restaurants.
Location: TBD. Watch for a separate email or text with reminder about address.
BTW: Get a taste of what EvoS Book Club is about by watching this video (whole video but relevance especially demonstrated >1:00 into the talk).
4th Mondays ACT Study Group, April
Facilitated by Joel Guarna, PhD.
Group usually meets on the 4th Monday of each month (hence the name).
Status of Group: Full/closed. Please contact Joel if you want to be on a waitlist for an opening.
Potential Agenda:
TBD, bring a case!
ACT Peer Consultation Group, April
Our no-cost, open group for professionals interested in connecting with others while learning ACT. Groups meet on the third Friday of each month. Format varies but includes discussion of ACT concepts and strategies, case consultations, and a wide range of other topics. Groups are currently meeting on Zoom.
This meeting will be hosted by Joel. Please email him with questions or agenda items.
Possible Agenda items:
TBD
We always prioritize salient and pressing concerns, questions, and topics!
Bring a case!
1st Mondays ACT Study Group, April
Facilitated by Joel Guarna, PhD.
Status of Group: Closed. Please contact Joel if you want to join another study group or be on a waitlist for an opening. Group usually meets on the first Monday of each month, alternating between Zoom and in-person (see below).
Agenda:
TBD; bring a case!
Location: TBD
Future:
Tentative plan: We will hold in-person meetings on alternating months (February and April 2026). This is an increase in the in-person meetings per expressed preference by group members and is an increase from the rate of quarterly/seasonal meetings.
Beyond Symptoms: Loneliness, Longing and Belonging in Clinical Practice
Presented by Teresa Valliere, LCSW, LADC, CCS
Hosted by Psychology Specialists of Maine
People naturally long for meaningful connections and a sense of belonging. Usually, they come into our office listing the symptoms of anxiety, depression and other disorders that they want to eliminate. While these symptoms are real, they also may be an understandable response to an absence of meaningful connections to help them cope and thrive in the world. Inadvertently, the therapeutic relationship can become a replacement for those connections in the “real” world outside our offices.
This one-hour talk will frame the inherent tensions between symptoms and meaning in a person’s life and the limits to our clinical language in assisting people to discover and cultivate meaningful connections. (It is a brief and limited overview of a two-day experiential workshop).
$35 | 1 CE Use discount code SMACTFIVE for $5 off. REGISTER
Unmasking Adult ADHD: A Clinician’s Guide to Recognizing, Differentiating and Diagnosing ADHD in Adults
Presented by Christie Pickel, PhD
Hosted by Psychology Specialists of Maine
When a client presents with persistent depression, treatment-resistant anxiety, or a history of "not living up to potential," how do you discern if ADHD is the missing piece? If you’re seeing more clients ask about ADHD but feel unsure how to assess the adult presentation, you’re not alone. Many clinicians received minimal training on the adult presentation, which often looks very different from the stereotypical childhood model.
This 3-hour live virtual training is designed to close that confidence gap. Led by a clinical psychologist with both professional and lived experience with ADHD, we’ll move beyond checklists to deconstruct myths and explore the hallmark patterns, masks, and compensatory strategies of adult ADHD. The session emphasizes practical clinical reasoning and tools to differentiate ADHD from overlapping mental and medical conditions and to identify it in commonly overlooked populations, such as high-achieving adults. Leave with an evidence-informed framework for your initial screening and diagnostic conversations.
Only $90 during Early Registration (thru 1/23/26) with discount code UNMASK
3 CEs | REGISTER
4th Mondays ACT Study Group, Feb 2026
Facilitated by Joel Guarna, PhD.
Group usually meets on the 4th Monday of each month (hence the name).
Status of Group: Full/closed. Please contact Joel if you want to be on a waitlist for an opening.
Potential Agenda:
TBD, bring a case!
ACT Peer Consultation Group, Feb 2026
Our no-cost, open group for professionals interested in connecting with others while learning ACT. Groups meet on the third Friday of each month. Format varies but includes discussion of ACT concepts and strategies, case consultations, and a wide range of other topics. Groups are currently meeting on Zoom.
This meeting will be hosted by Joel. Please email him with questions or agenda items.
Possible Agenda items:
TBD
We always prioritize salient and pressing concerns, questions, and topics!
Bring a case!
EvoS Book Club, Feb 2026
Evolution Science & Behavior (EvoS) Book Club.
We usually meet on the (second or) third Wednesday evening of each month (more or less!).
Agenda. This season we will take another of our detours off the strict EvoS theme to read The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan.
We will read through the first six chapters of this book for February.
Please RSVP if you are new to the group.
Time: Now meeting in-person at +/- 6:00-6:30 pm at local restaurants.
Location: TBD. Watch for a separate email or text with reminder about address.
BTW: Get a taste of what EvoS Book Club is about by watching this video (whole video but relevance especially demonstrated >1:00 into the talk).
1st Mondays ACT Study Group, Feb 2026
Facilitated by Joel Guarna, PhD.
Status of Group: Closed. Please contact Joel if you want to join another study group or be on a waitlist for an opening. Group usually meets on the first Monday of each month, alternating between Zoom and in-person (see below).
Agenda:
TBD; bring a case!
Location: In person!
Future:
Tentative plan: We will hold in-person meetings on alternating months (February and April 2026). This is an increase in the in-person meetings per expressed preference by group members and is an increase from the rate of quarterly/seasonal meetings.
4th Mondays ACT Study Group, January 2026
Facilitated by Joel Guarna, PhD.
Group usually meets on the 4th Monday of each month (hence the name).
Status of Group: Full/closed. Please contact Joel if you want to be on a waitlist for an opening.
Potential Agenda:
TBD, bring a case!
Impactful Strategies from 25 Years of ACT in Practice
Presented by Joel Guarna, PhD
Hosted by Psychology Specialists of Maine
ACT is more than a set of therapeutic techniques; it offers a way of understanding human suffering and human possibility. 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.
Regular registration: $110
Use discount code SMACT for discount!
(Sorry, early registration ended on Dec 19th.)
3 CEs for psychologists, social workers, and counselors in Maine.
ACT Peer Consultation Group, January 2026
Our no-cost, open group for professionals interested in connecting with others while learning ACT. Groups meet on the third Friday of each month. Format varies but includes discussion of ACT concepts and strategies, case consultations, and a wide range of other topics. Groups are currently meeting on Zoom.
This meeting will be hosted by Joel. Please email him with questions or agenda items.
Possible Agenda items:
TBD
We always prioritize salient and pressing concerns, questions, and topics!
Bring a case!
EvoS Book Club, January 2026
Evolution Science & Behavior (EvoS) Book Club.
We usually meet on the (second or) third Wednesday evening of each month (more or less!).
Agenda. This season we will take another of our detours off the strict EvoS theme to read Against the Machine: On the Unmaking of Humanity by Paul Kingsnorth. Here is what Iain McGilchrist, the author of our last book (The Master and His Emissary) has to say about Against the Machine:
The most powerful and important book I have read in years. This book should be required reading not only for politicians, technocrats, teachers and all who help shape our world, but for every still-living soul in this terrifying age of the Machine.
We will read through the final section, Section 4, of his new book for December.
Sample of Kingsnorth’s thinking and ideas. Disclaimer: Kingsnorth’s thinking is complex and nuanced—and also situated inside his own worldview, which is Orthodox Christian. It will not be to everyone’s taste.
Please RSVP if you are new to the group.
Time: Now meeting in-person at +/- 6:00-6:30 pm.
Location: TBD. Watch for a separate email or text with reminder about address.
BTW: Get a taste of what EvoS Book Club is about by watching this video (whole video but relevance especially demonstrated >1:00 into the talk).
1st Mondays ACT Study Group, January 2026
Facilitated by Joel Guarna, PhD.
Status of Group: Closed. Please contact Joel if you want to join another study group or be on a waitlist for an opening. Group usually meets on the first Monday of each month, alternating between Zoom and in-person (see below).
Agenda:
TBD; bring a case!
Location: Virtual!
Future:
Tentative plan: We will hold in-person meetings on alternating months (December 2025 and then February 2026). This is an increase in the in-person meetings per expressed preference by group members and is an increase from the rate of quarterly/seasonal meetings.
ACT Peer Consultation Group, December
Our no-cost, open group for professionals interested in connecting with others while learning ACT. Groups meet on the third Friday of each month. Format varies but includes discussion of ACT concepts and strategies, case consultations, and a wide range of other topics. Groups are currently meeting on Zoom.
This meeting will be hosted by Joel. Please email him with questions or agenda items.
Possible Agenda items:
TBD
We always prioritize salient and pressing concerns, questions, and topics!
Bring a case!
EvoS Book Club, December
Evolution Science & Behavior (EvoS) Book Club.
We usually meet on the (second or) third Wednesday evening of each month (more or less!).
Agenda. This season we will take another of our detours off the strict EvoS theme to read Against the Machine: On the Unmaking of Humanity by Paul Kingsnorth. Here is what Iain McGilchrist, the author of our last book (The Master and His Emissary) has to say about Against the Machine:
The most powerful and important book I have read in years. This book should be required reading not only for politicians, technocrats, teachers and all who help shape our world, but for every still-living soul in this terrifying age of the Machine.
We will read through Section 3 of his new book for December.
Sample of Kingsnorth’s thinking and ideas. Disclaimer: Kingsnorth’s thinking is complex and nuanced—and also situated inside his own worldview, which is Orthodox Christian. It will not be to everyone’s taste.
Please RSVP if you are new to the group.
Time: Now meeting in-person at +/- 6:30 pm.
Location: TBD. Watch for a separate email or text with reminder about address.
BTW: Get a taste of what EvoS Book Club is about by watching this video (whole video but relevance especially demonstrated >1:00 into the talk).
4th Mondays ACT Study Group, December
Facilitated by Joel Guarna, PhD.
Meeting on THIRD Monday in December to avoid holiday and travel!
Group usually meets on the 4th Monday of each month (hence the name).
Status of Group: Full/closed. Please contact Joel if you want to be on a waitlist for an opening.
Potential Agenda:
TBD, bring a case!
1st Mondays ACT Study Group, December
Facilitated by Joel Guarna, PhD.
Status of Group: Closed. Please contact Joel if you want to join another study group or be on a waitlist for an opening. Group usually meets on the first Monday of each month, alternating between Zoom and in-person (see below).
Agenda:
TBD; bring a case!
Location: In person!
Future:
Tentative plan: We will hold in-person meetings on alternating months (December 2025 and then February 2026). This is an increase in the in-person meetings per expressed preference by group members and is an increase from the rate of quarterly/seasonal meetings.
4th Mondays ACT Study Group, November
Facilitated by Joel Guarna, PhD.
Group usually meets on the 4th Monday of each month (hence the name).
Status of Group: Full/closed. Please contact Joel if you want to be on a waitlist for an opening.
Potential Agenda:
TBD, bring a case!
ACT Peer Consultation Group, November
Our no-cost, open group for professionals interested in connecting with others while learning ACT. Groups meet on the third Friday of each month. Format varies but includes discussion of ACT concepts and strategies, case consultations, and a wide range of other topics. Groups are currently meeting on Zoom.
This meeting will be hosted by Joel. Please email him with questions or agenda items.
Possible Agenda items:
TBD
We always prioritize salient and pressing concerns, questions, and topics!
Bring a case!
Launching the Maine ADHD Consult Group for Clinicians
Presented by Christie Pickel, PhD
Hosted by Psychology Specialists of Maine
Are you looking to deepen your skills and confidence in supporting adults with ADHD? You’re not alone. The demand for competent, neurodiversity-affirming ADHD care is growing, and many clinicians feel they didn't receive adequate training in this specialty.
You're invited to the inaugural session of the Maine ADHD Consult Group, a new professional community dedicated to practical, evidence-based learning. Facilitated by Dr. Christie Pickel, a specialist in adult ADHD, this recurring forum is designed to help you immediately integrate more effective strategies into your work, with an overarching goal of increasing access to high-quality ADHD care throughout Maine by empowering providers.
Whether this becomes your new monthly resource or a one-time skill-building session, this is your opportunity to join a dedicated community of practice. This session blends expert-led education with real-world case consultation and collaborative problem-solving, all within a supportive community of your peers.
$30 | 1 CE Use discount code SMACTFIVE for $5 off. REGISTER
Become A Member
By joining SMACT, you support a growing non-profit that is dedicated to promoting the use of ACT and other mindfulness-based approaches to wellness. Our members have access to discounted rates on trainings, book clubs, annual meetings and our yearly retreat on Cushing Island.