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