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