ABSTRACT
A behavioural model of psychotherapy, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) is primarily interested in assisting clients to make more helpful choices in terms of the behaviours they choose to enact. Modelling occurs when the practitioner engages in behaviour that is either directly or functionally equivalent with that which they would like the client to produce more of. In a therapeutic encounter, this might include behaviours indicative of openness, honesty, or vulnerability. Initiate involves creating opportunities for the client to produce examples of the improvement behaviour in or out of session. This might be achieved by asking a question, engaging in an experiential exercise, or collaborating on devising a homework assignment. ACT involves constant moment-to-moment decisions from the practitioner about how best to promote more functional choosing, and the relative weight of each of the strategies will vary between clients.
