ACT Skills: Clarifying Values

You can personalize the ACT Skills: Clarifying Values resource by downloading it HERE, and adding your own responses, or continue to view it below.

In Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), the concept of values is central to the therapeutic process. In ACT, values are not goals or objectives, but rather, they are deeply held principles that guide us. They represent what is important to us, and provide a sense of direction and purpose. On the other hand, when we are not living from our values, we may feel a sense of confusion, internal conflict, or lack of direction. This resource will guide us through several reflections to help us clarify our own personal values.

Value Domains

In ACT, clarifying our values starts with reflecting on what areas of our lives (i.e. value domains) that matter most to us, at this point in time. Use the table below to begin this process, rating each domain on a scale of 1-10 for importance in your life (1 = lowest importance, 10 = greatest importance), and 1-10 for the level of success you’ve had in that area (1 = no success, 10 = very successful). Note: importance ratings can naturally change over time, and success may go up or down, based on our willingness to take committed actions that align with our values.

*editable PDF version can be found here

The “Tombstone Exercise”

The Tombstone Exercise is another way to begin clarifying our values through visualization and reflection. This exercise asks us to imagine ourselves at the end of our lives, looking back on the choices we've made, and the life we’ve lived. It can help us clarify our values by considering what we would want to be remembered for, and what kind of impact we hope to have had on the world.

Reflection Questions

1. What values came up for you during this Tombstone Exercise?
2. How did thinking about the end of your life impact what really matters to you?
3. What emotions came up as you were reflecting on this exercise?
4. If you have a specific action or decision in mind, how could aligning that with your values make your life more meaningful?
5. What small steps can you take today, to live in line with these values?

Values List Part 1

Now that we’ve taken some time to reflect on the areas of our life that are important to us, and the things that we’d like to be remembered by, we’ll explore the following values list developed by the research of Brené Brown. For this exercise, we’ll review the list, and note a V for “very important”, S for “somewhat important”, and N for “not important”.

*editable PDF version can be found here

Values List Part 2

For Part 2 of this exercise, we’ll begin to narrow down the values that are most important to us. Look at the values that you’ve marked a V next to, and weigh in your mind which are most relevant to you at this point in time (aiming for about 4-6). This may be challenging, and at the same time, can provide an opportunity to reflect on what truly matters to us.

Reflection

• What are your top 4-6 values, and why are they important to you?
• In what ways have you been living from these values?
• In what ways have you not been living from these values? And what are the barriers?
• What is one action you can take to live from one of your values, today?
• What are some actions you can take to live from your values, this week?

Additional ACT Resources

• ACT Skills: Dissecting the Problem
• ACT Skills: Getting Hooked

References

• Harris, R. (2014). The Complete Set of Client Handouts and Worksheets from ACT books. The Happiness Trap. https://thehappinesstrap.com/upimages/Complete_Worksheets_2014.pdf