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