Course Description

In Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), values play a fundamental role in guiding the therapeutic process and fostering meaningful change. Values refer to the deeply held principles that give purpose and direction to an individual’s life. Unlike goals, which are specific achievements, values are enduring and provide a compass that helps clients steer through life’s complexities. By identifying and clarifying their core values, clients are better equipped to make choices that are congruent with what truly matters to them, thus enhancing their sense of fulfillment and well-being. This alignment with personal values is crucial for therapists to emphasize, as it helps clients break free from the cycle of avoidance and begin to engage in actions that are meaningful and purposeful.

You will learn many ways to assist clients in exploring and clarifying their values so that they may move in the direction of a meaningful life. We will examine the connections between values, authenticity and creating a life worth living. In addition, you will learn how our clients’ belief systems, typically the result of trauma and/or attachment wounding, can be an obstacle in generating authentic values. The good news is that belief systems can change, and we’ll explore the clinical work that is necessary for that to occur.

In addition, you will discover how clients can also use values as a guide for setting goals. By setting value-based goals, clients can prioritize what truly matters to them and focus on actions that bring them closer to living a purposeful, fulfilling life.