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