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