Values are the basic, most fundamental beliefs a person can have. They help to determine what a person prioritizes, who they want to be, how they live their lives and how they interact with their community. Understanding more about values can help you identify what’s most important to you and make needed changes. An approach to therapy that focuses heavily on values is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Acceptance and Commitment therapy (ACT) is an action-oriented approach to therapy. The approach helps you stay focused on the present moment and accept thoughts and feelings without judgment. We as a culture seem to be dedicated to the idea that negative human emotions need to be fixed, managed, or changed; not experienced as part of a whole life. We are treating our own lives as problems to be solved. Acceptance and commitment therapy focuses on accepting emotions and taking action according to our values. For trauma survivors, this approach can be empowering. The focus on a purpose and acting in accordance with our values, allows trauma survivors to have a framework for understanding and making sense of our experiences.
Values elicit one or more feelings. Those feelings include meaning, purpose, vitality, connection, contentment, fulfillment, roundedness, and warmth. Values include things like family, friendship, humor, kindness, learning, freedom, wisdom and integrity. If you are needing to make changes in your life, speak to one of our therapists. The Acceptance and Commitment approach can help you move in a positive direction.