Values clarification — identifying what matters most to you at the deepest level — is a cornerstone of ACT therapy for adolescence and provides direction when adolescence removes other navigational tools.
Why Values Matter for Adolescence
Adolescence often disconnects us from our values through avoidance, withdrawal, and reduced capacity. Reconnecting with values provides:
- Direction when adolescence has eliminated other motivation
- Meaning that persists even through difficult adolescence periods
- A basis for action independent of how adolescence makes you feel
Clarifying Your Values with Adolescence
Ask yourself: 'If my adolescence were less present, what would I be doing more of? What kind of person would I be?'
Values are not goals (achievable and done) but ongoing directions: being a present parent, creating beauty, contributing to others.
Values-Based Action in Adolescence
ACT therapy teaches: act according to values even when adolescence is present. Small values-aligned actions, despite adolescence, are more sustainable than waiting for adolescence to lift first.