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