An ACT practitioner’s guide to shaping psychological flexibility
Created by Contextual Consulting with Lou Lasprugato
In this short guide, we explore the core strategies of modelling, evoking, and reinforcing as tools to shape behaviours that align with clients’ values and support meaningful change.
Model, evoke, reinforce is a simple yet powerful framework that helps guide the interpersonal process of using ACT in real time. Rather than practitioners relying solely on instruction or explanation, this approach focuses on shaping behaviour through your presence, language, and responses within the therapeutic relationship.
Download model, evoke, reinforce guide
LOU LASPRUGATO is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Integrative Psychotherapist with Sutter Health’s Institute for Health and Healing, and Peer-Reviewed Trainer in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS). He is also the ACBS Training Committee Chair.
Model, evoke, reinforce: An ACT practitioner’s guide to shaping psychological flexibility overview
As ACT is steeped in behaviours, shaping behaviour is an essential component of ACT; involving a combination of modelling, evoking, and reinforcement. These elements work together to help clients develop skills that stimulate their psychological flexibility.
- Modelling: Demonstrating openness, awareness, and engagement through your own behaviour.
- Evoking: Using reflections, questions, and invitations to create opportunities for new experiences and behaviours to emerge.
- Reinforcing: Acknowledging and encouraging workable behaviours while avoiding reinforcement of unhelpful ones.
This short guide explores the core strategies of modelling, evoking, and reinforcing in more detail, considering how they can build an alliance with clients that encourages connection but also challenge.
This ebook was created by Contextual Consulting in collaboration with Lou Lasprugato
