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