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