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