About this course

Learning Objectives

• Define and describe problematic pornography use, including its impact on psychological functioning, emotional well-being, and daily life.
• Conduct clinical interviews and utilize assessment strategies to evaluate problematic pornography use and identify appropriate treatment targets and goals.
• Explain the theoretical, historical, and empirical foundations of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as they relate to the treatment of problematic pornography use and co-occurring concerns.
• Identify and apply the six core ACT processes to conceptualize and treat clients experiencing problematic pornography use.
• Implement ACT-based interventions, including values clarification, acceptance, cognitive defusion, and self-as-context strategies, to help clients reduce the influence of urges, self-critical thinking, and triggering stimuli.
• Develop behavior change plans using ACT principles to enhance client motivation, increase psychological flexibility, and support progress toward personally meaningful treatment goals.

Learning Levels

• Beginner
• Intermediate

Target Audience

Course Instructor(s)

• 

  Michael Twohig, PhD

  Professor of Psychology, Utah State University

  Michael P. Twohig, Ph.D. is a psychologist in Utah and a Professor of Psychology at Utah State University, where he co-runs the ACT Research Group (with Dr. Levin). He received his B.A. and M.S. from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, his Ph.D. from the University of Nevada, Reno, and completed his clinical internship at the University of British Columbia Hospital. He is past-President of the Association of Contextual Behavioral Science and winner of the 2025 D. Wynn Thorne career research award. His research focuses on the use of ACT across a variety of clinical presentations with an emphasis on obsessive compulsive and related disorders. He has published over 250 peer-reviewed papers, many book chapters, and 13 books, with the most recent being the Anxious Perfectionist (with Ong) and Trichotillomania: An ACT-Enhanced Behavior Therapy Approach (2nd Ed.; with Woods). His research has been funded through multiple sources including the National Institute of Mental Health, IOCDF, and the Misophonia Research Fund. In 2022, 2024, and 2025 he was rated as the most productive author on ACT in the world.

Disclosure

References

• Zwielewski, G., Machado, V., Fiamoncini, A. A., Quinta-Gomes, A. L., & Cruz, R. M. (2026). Cognitive behavioral therapy-based interventions for problematic pornography use: a scoping review. Sexual Medicine Reviews, 14(2), qeag027. https://doi.org/10.1093/sxmrev/qeag027
• Sutrisno, W., & Saputra, M. (2025). Understanding online pornography addiction: A systematic review of behavioral impacts, screening tools, and therapeutic interventions. Entertainment Computing, 54, 100956. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.entcom.2025.100956
• Ripplinger, J. C., Beecher, M. E., Scalese, A. M., Fisher, A. R., Spjut, K., Griner, D., ... & Swanson, S. E. (2024). Acceptance and commitment therapy group for problematic sexual behavior: Treatment principles and participant experiences. Sexual Health & Compulsivity, 31(1), 59-82. https://doi.org/10.1080/26929953.2024.2303652
• Ghazanfarpour, M., Babakhanian, M., Keshtkar, A., & Kiani, M. (2020). A systematic review and meta-analysis of three clinical trials with acceptance and commitment therapy for problematic pornography use. Alcoholism and Drug Addiction/Alkoholizm i Narkomania, 33(3), 275-282. https://doi.org/10.5114/ain.2020.101802
• Levin, M. E., Heninger, S. T., Pierce, B. G., & Twohig, M. P. (2017). Examining the feasibility of acceptance and commitment therapy self-help for problematic pornography viewing: Results from a pilot open trial. The Family Journal, 25(4), 306-312. https://doi.org/10.1177/1066480717731242
• Crosby, J. M., & Twohig, M. P. (2016). Acceptance and commitment therapy for problematic internet pornography use: A randomized trial. Behavior therapy, 47(3), 355-366. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2016.02.001
• Morrison, K. L., Madden, G. J., Odum, A. L., Friedel, J. E., & Twohig, M. P. (2014). Altering impulsive decision making with an acceptance-based procedure. Behavior therapy, 45(5), 630-639. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2014.01.001
• Twohig, M. P., & Crosby, J. M. (2010). Acceptance and commitment therapy as a treatment for problematic internet pornography viewing. Behavior therapy, 41(3), 285-295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2009.06.002