SOUTH PORTLAND
Acceptance Commitment Therapy: Getting Unstuck
Training for Clinicians, Supervisors, & Behavioral Health Professionals
FRIDAY OCT. 31, 2025
8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
At a glance…
Date: Friday, October 31, 2025
Time: 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM (Registration opens 8:00 AM)
CEUs: 6.5 Hours
Location: Heart Stone Counseling / Carriage House
967 Broadway, South Portland, ME 04106
Facilitator: Teresa Valliere, LCSW, LADC, CCS
Sponsor: Valliere Counseling and Professional Support
For: Mental and behavioral health professionals, social workers, psychologists, physicians, nurses, therapists, counseling staff, alcohol and drug counselors, and clinicians in mental health, substance use, co-occurring, behavioral, or health settings.
Cost: Early Bird $130, Standard $150, Group 3+ $125
Email Questions → community@heartstonecounseling.com
overview
Clients get stuck—and helpers get stuck with them. ACT understands this “stuckness” as psychological rigidity (fusion with thoughts, experiential avoidance, and narrow behavior patterns) and offers a pathway to psychological flexibility.
Blending motivational interviewing, mindfulness practices, and behavioral activation, ACT helps clients unhook from unhelpful thoughts, contact the present moment, clarify values, and take committed action toward a more meaningful life.
In this hands-on workshop, Teresa introduces the ACT model and philosophy, then uses experiential exercises and metaphors to show how to shift from symptom reduction alone to building flexible, values-driven lives—with interventions you can use immediately.
Acceptance Commitment Therapy: Getting Unstuck:
A ONE DAY, SKILLS-FOCUSED CE TRAINING FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
Teresa Valliere, LCSW, LADC, CCS is a clinician, supervisor, and trainer with more than 30 years of experience in mental health and addiction treatment. She has worked across inpatient, outpatient, and community settings, with specialized training in trauma, relational therapy, grief, mindfulness, and supervision. Since 2000, Teresa has also trained and supervised clinicians in ethics, clinical supervision, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, group facilitation, and motivational interviewing. She is known for making complex ethical issues approachable and for helping professionals turn difficult conversations into opportunities for learning and growth.
Format & Agenda
Interactive lecture, individual reflection, case work, and small-group exercises.
8:00–8:30 Registration & coffee
8:30–10:15 ACT foundations: model, goals, psychological rigidity vs. flexibility
10:15–10:30 Break
10:30–12:00 Core processes: defusion, acceptance, present-moment, self-as-context
12:00–1:00 Lunch (on your own)
1:00–2:30 Values and committed action: assessment → behavior change planning
2:30–2:45 Break
2:45–4:00 Experiential labs: exercises & metaphors you can use tomorrow
You Will Learn to
Describe psychological rigidity vs. flexibility within the ACT model.
Use defusion skills to help clients unhook from unhelpful thoughts.
Coach present-moment awareness and acceptance strategies.
Clarify client values and translate them into committed action steps.
Integrate simple ACT exercises/metaphors into ongoing treatment plans.
What to Bring
A de-identified case you’d like to “unstick” using ACT (optional)
Notebook for exercises and action planning
About the Space ~ Treehouse at Heart Stone
This training will take place in the Treehouse Group Room at Heart Stone Counseling, located on the second floor (stairs) of the Carriage House — the smaller of Heart Stone’s two buildings. The Treehouse is a light-filled, comfortable space designed for group learning and reflection.
Shoes: Please note this is a no-shoe zone. You’re welcome to bring slippers or cozy socks.
Beverages: Covered beverages only, to help us keep the space clean.
Parking: Free parking is available in our lot and along the street.
Kitchen: There is a small kitchen where you will be able to refrigerate and warm up food.
We look forward to welcoming you into this setting that supports both learning and community.
Register Now
Standard: $150
Early Bird: $130 — automatically applied through Oct 10, 2025.
Group (3+): $125 per person — enter code ACTGROUP at checkout. If your org forgets the code, we’ll adjust the difference—just email community@heartstonecounseling.com
Next step: Go to Cart to finish checkout.
CEUs and Policies
6.5 CEUs are available. Certificates will be issued by Valliere Counseling and Professional Support and emailed within 7 business days after completion and evaluation submission.
Refunds/Cancellations: Full refund up to 7 days before the event; within 7 days, you may transfer your seat to a colleague or a future offering if available.
Accessibility: The group room is not handicap accessible. Please email community@heartstonecounseling.com with any accommodation requests.
Inclement Weather: If we must reschedule, all registrations will automatically transfer or may be refunded.
-
No — the Early Bird rate ($130) is automatically applied at checkout for registrations completed by October 10, 2025.
-
For organizations registering 3 or more participants together, register each person individually and enter code GROUP with each registration at checkout to receive the $130 per person rate.
-
Discounts cannot be combined. Please choose the option that best fits your registration.
-
Yes — after checkout, you’ll receive an email receipt. If your organization requires a formal invoice, please contact us at community@heartstonecounseling.com
-
Cancellations made up to 7 days before the event will be fully refunded. Within 7 days, you may transfer your registration to a colleague.
-
Certificates for 6.5 CEUs will be emailed within 7 business days after the workshop, once attendance is confirmed.