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