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