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