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Doug Hohenberger, Psy.D., is a 2026 graduate of the Psy.D. Program in Clinical Psychology at Antioch University, New England

Dissertation Committee:

  • Vince Pignatiello, PsyD, Chairperson
  • Cynthia Whitaker, PsyD, Committee Member
  • Christina Minasian Hunt, PsyD, Committee Member

Keywords

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, substance use disorders, group therapy, Twelve Step, mutual help, implementation

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Date

2026

Abstract

Substance use disorders remain a prevalent and costly public health concern. Despite this, efforts to disseminate evidence-based practices frequently encounter both practical and philosophical barriers. Language and practices from the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous have permeated addiction treatment settings and have become the “common tongue” for addiction recovery discourse. Consequently, most substance use treatment programs feature tenets of the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous in their clinical programming, even though the framework was designed for peer support settings. Twelve Step fellowships have made important contributions to the substance use treatment field and have guided individuals through personal recovery through a series of behavior-oriented tasks that align well with core processes within Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. This dissertation presents a protocol that utilizes select Twelve Step language and practices to align an empirically supported treatment with the existing recovery culture and infrastructure. The resulting product is a 12-session outpatient therapy protocol titled Into ACTion. This dissertation is available in open access at Antioch University Repository and Archive (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

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ORCID iD: 0009-0001-0500-0208

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