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