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