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