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