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