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