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