Values clarification — identifying what matters most to you at the deepest level — is a cornerstone of ACT therapy for adoption and provides direction when adoption removes other navigational tools.
Why Values Matter for Adoption
Adoption often disconnects us from our values through avoidance, withdrawal, and reduced capacity. Reconnecting with values provides:
- Direction when adoption has eliminated other motivation
- Meaning that persists even through difficult adoption periods
- A basis for action independent of how adoption makes you feel
Clarifying Your Values with Adoption
Ask yourself: 'If my adoption 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 Adoption
ACT therapy teaches: act according to values even when adoption is present. Small values-aligned actions, despite adoption, are more sustainable than waiting for adoption to lift first.