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