Living a Life That Matters: Core Values and ACT

Core Values in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) places core values at the center of psychological healing and personal growth. Many people enter therapy feeling stuck, disconnected, or uncertain about why life feels unfulfilling, even when external circumstances appear stable. ACT approaches this experience not as a problem to eliminate, but as a signal that a person may be living out of alignment with what truly matters to them. Rather than focusing solely on symptom reduction, ACT invites individuals to explore a deeper and more sustaining question: what kind of person do they want to be, and how do they want to show up in their lives?

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What Core Values Mean in ACT

In ACT, core values are understood as chosen life directions rather than specific outcomes or achievements. They describe the qualities of action a person wants to embody across different areas of life, such as relationships, work, health, or personal growth. Values like authenticity, compassion, integrity, curiosity, and connection are not goals that can be completed or crossed off a list. Instead, they are ongoing ways of being that can be expressed repeatedly, moment by moment, through everyday choices and behaviors.

Values Versus Goals

A key distinction in ACT is the difference between values and goals. Values function like a compass, pointing toward a meaningful direction, while goals are specific milestones along the way. For example, being a kind and present partner is value driven, whereas planning regular time to connect is a goal. When goals are grounded in values, setbacks and obstacles become easier to tolerate. Even if a goal is not fully achieved, a person can still experience a sense of purpose by continuing to move in a valued direction.

Why Values Matter for Mental Health

Values play a critical role in mental health because many forms of emotional suffering are intensified when life becomes organized around avoidance. Anxiety, depression, and burnout often lead people to focus on eliminating discomfort or controlling their thoughts and feelings. ACT gently shifts the focus away from asking how to get rid of distress and toward asking whether current actions are moving a person closer to or further from the life they want to live. In this way, values provide a stabilizing anchor during times of emotional pain.

Values and Psychological Flexibility

At the heart of ACT is psychological flexibility, which refers to the ability to stay present, open, and engaged in life while choosing actions that align with personal values. Clarifying values supports this flexibility by helping individuals notice when fear, avoidance, or self-criticism are driving behavior and by creating space to choose responses based on meaning rather than immediate relief. ACT emphasizes that people do not need to wait until they feel better to start living fully; instead, living in alignment with values often creates the conditions for emotional well-being to grow. Furthermore, emotional distress and psychological "friction" often occur when we are living out of alignment with our core values.

Exploring Values in Therapy

Values exploration in therapy is typically experiential rather than purely intellectual. Individuals may be invited to reflect on moments when they felt most alive or most like themselves, what they want their lives to stand for, or how they would act if fear had less influence over their decisions. Values are often explored across important life domains, including relationships, family, work, health, creativity, and personal growth, allowing individuals to see where their actions are aligned and where gentle course corrections may be helpful.

Values-Based Action and Everyday Choices

ACT emphasizes that values-based living is built through small, intentional actions rather than dramatic life changes. Speaking honestly in a difficult conversation, setting boundaries to protect emotional energy, or continuing to show up for therapy despite discomfort are all examples of living in alignment with values. Over time, these small actions accumulate, shaping a life that feels more meaningful and coherent, even in the presence of ongoing challenges.

When Values Feel Unclear

It is common for values to feel unclear or conflicted, especially following trauma, loss, or prolonged stress. ACT understands this disconnection as a natural response to survival rather than a personal failure. Therapy can provide a compassionate space to gently reconnect with what matters, allowing values to emerge organically through awareness, curiosity, and experimentation rather than pressure or self-judgment.

Living a Values-Driven Life

ACT does not promise a life free from pain. Instead, it offers a way to live a life that is rich, meaningful, and guided by purpose. When individuals anchor their choices in core values, emotional suffering often becomes more tolerable because it is held within the context of a life that feels intentional and aligned with what truly matters.

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