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