John Powell (he/his/him) is a mental health counselor in private practice focusing on Acceptance
and Commitment Therapy and Clinical Relational Frame Theory. John developed the
therapeutic pillar of Two Roads Academy, an alternative school in Colchester, Vermont;
developed the theory of the Values-Driven Education Model; and has been teaching ACT for
seven years. He's a member of the Association For Contextual Behavioral Science and has spoken
at three ACBS World Conferences (Dublin, Buenos Aires, and New Orleans). He's presented
twice at the LaMiss Regional conference. His clinical work spans adolescents, adults, couples,
families, and parents. He lives in Melbourne, Florida, where he's also a musician, yoga teacher,
and where he most recently started growing bananas, mangos, and papayas.
Now What? Sticking With ACT Interventions When Working With Tricky Teens
Watching adolescents make “bad” decisions—and pushing back against good advice—can be frustrating, especially in therapy. But reacting from that frustration can lead to less effective interventions.
Behavior analysis introduces the concept of pliance: following rules based on social reinforcement rather than what actually works. In other words, doing what you’ve been told—not necessarily what’s helpful. And that "rule" may come from past reinforcement, not current guidance from a therapist, parent, or teacher.
While ACT provides a powerful framework for building psychological flexibility...Read more, rigidly applying it—or any model—can invite resistance. Fortunately, ACT is highly adaptable.
Whether you currently work with adolescents or are considering it, this workshop will help you strengthen process-based therapy skills that counter pliance and support what adolescents are meant to do: individuate. We'll also explore how to notice and manage your own "righting reflex" when working with this age group.
The training includes adolescent development insights, real-world case examples, and experiential exercises to help you feel more confident and flexible in your work. Less...
Learning Objectives
- Participants will be able to apply human development principles to the ACT model.
- Participants will be able to identify the function of interventions when using ACT with adolescents.
- Participants will apply new learning to build strategies, case conceptualization, and interventions, both generally and for a specific case.
Target Audience
This educational activity is intended for behavioral health professionals, including Psychologists, Social Workers, Counselors, and MFT's.
Learning Levels
- Beginner
Thursday, August 14, 2025
Live Interactive Webinar
10:00 AM EDT - 12:00 PM EDT
EARN 2 CE Credit Hours
About the speaker
John Powell, LCMHC, LMHC, NCC, Reiki Master
Agenda
- Welcome and Introduction
- Understanding Pliance in Adolescents
- Working Through the ACT Model With Adolescents
- Therapist Self-Awareness & The Righting Reflex
- Case Examples & Clinical Scenarios
- Experiential Practice & Tools
- Q&A + Wrap-Up
CE Information - Earn 2 CE Credit Hours
CE Approvals
National Board for Certified Counselors
Tava has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7563. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Tava is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
CE Process Info
Before the event, you will receive an email from CE-Go with access to the virtual event. After the event, you will receive access to your evaluation and continuing education certificate via a personalized "attendee dashboard" link, hosted on the CE-Go website. This link and access to the virtual event will be sent to the email account you used to register for the event.
Upon accessing the CE-Go "attendee dashboard", you will be able to:
- Complete evaluation forms for the event
- Download your continuing education certificate in a PDF format
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the CE-Go platform, please contact CE-Go at 888-498-5578 or by email at support@ce-go.com Please Note: Emails for this event will come from "support@ce-go.com".
If you have any continuing education related questions, please contact your event organizer at therapist-support@tavahealth.com.
Please make sure to check your spam/junk folder in case those emails get "stuck". We'd also suggest "Allowlisting" support@ce-go.com. This tells your email client that you know this sender and trust them, which will keep emails from this contact at the top of your inbox and out of the junk folder.