‘When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less important whether I am afraid’ Audre Lorde (1997, p 13)

Psyc 440

Imagine you just won the lottery, and you were given a cheque for 10 million dollars! What would you do with the money? Lets make a list

Key targets for defining valued directions Help clients contact and clarify the values that give their life meaning Help clients link behaviour change to chosen values, whilst making room for their automatic reactions and experiences

Values Values are at the very heart of meaning and purpose for humans, they guide and define our lives The ACT approach is not about teaching clients a set of correct morals or values, rather it is about teaching clients a process of valuing that can guide them in making decisions long after the therapist has gone This process is intended to help clients select directions for their lives that resonate with their deepest longings

Values Therapists essentially explore the question; In a world where you could choose to have your life be about something, what would you choose?’ This question is explored in number of ways throughout the therapeutic relationship Conversation Writing Eyes closed exercises Experiential exercises

What are values? Verbally constructed, global, desired and chosen life directions (Dahl, Wilson, Luciano & Hayes, 2005) Values are freely chosen by the individual And they are on-going over time – one can never fully achieve ones value, only continue to act consistent with it

Why values? Direction – values provide clients with a place to aim for. In comparison with avoidance, which is about moving away rather than moving toward something Our naughty minds– clarity about our values gives us a guide toward behaviour in the face of challenging thoughts Consistency – our values gives us a consistent compass to direct action during the storms of life Goal setting – values guide the short term goals we set to move in valued directions What is true is what works (pragmatic truth criterion that underpins ACT) – without values we cannot define what ‘works’ means

Some values exercises Eulogy exercise Imagine you had died and could hear what people said at your funeral, what would you like to hear? Tombstone metaphor What would you like written on your tombstone? Here lies Nic who Card sorting exercise Whittle down to 15 Then 5 Then 3 Note: There are a number of other values exercises detailed in the book chapter

Important points Valuing is normally worked on throughout the therapeutic process This almost always starts with a conversation about values where clients are asked to construct a vision for their life There are certain qualities within these conversations that we as therapist should be looking out for;

Vitality Making contact with that which the client most values tends to evoke a certain reaction people often describe as vital, alive or meaningful Choice The client will begin to choose values freely, and not based on social manipulation, rigid rules and avoidance

A present orientation Values conversation sometimes extend into the future. But something that is valued is valued now! And by bringing them into the present the client is able to feel the pull of such directions A willing vulnerability Often we value the things that are most important to us. And moving towards them can often be emotional torture. Being willing whilst recognising that vulnerability is common is a good place to be

The ‘no values’ client Some clients may deny that they have any values at all This is not uncommon, it is usually because of the pain associated with having that conversation ‘if I don’t expect too much then I cant get hurt’ People like to stay in their safety zones Undermining this type of avoidance means taking the client into the pain of caring Remember that our values and our pain are often poured from the same glass Lets look at a transcript

What is the method of defining valued directions 1. Guide clients to contact their values and state them explicitly 2. Coach the clients to take a stand (take action) for their values (this is explored in more detail in committed action) 3. Help clients examine current life directions in relation to values

Lets look at the video

Building patterns of committed action A core problem for many clients who visit therapy is that they have dropped out of important activities in their lives Many people have visions of a life they wish to inhabit, but find themselves stuck living lives put upon them, not of their own choosing Once values are in place, committed action steps in to ensure the clients commit to acting in a way which is consistent with those chosen values

Key targets for committed action Work with the client for behaviour change in the service of chosen values, while making room for all automatic reactions and experiences Help the client take responsibility for patterns of action, building them into larger and larger units that support effective values based living

What is committed action Committed action is the step by step process of acting to create a whole life, true to ones deepest wishes and desires Its includes both persistence and change, depending on what is needed It is dependent on the development of each of the other core ACT process; most notably willingness (without willingness committed action is unlikely to take place) Committed action can be shown in varied and flexible forms Imagine the person in prison. It will be hard to value ones family in prison, but being helpful to attain early parole would get him closer to his family more quickly

Why committed action? If defining ones values provides the compass for one deepest wants, then committed action describes the steps of the journey A well lived life is the ultimate goal of ACT, and each of the ACT processes contribute to allowing the client to persist in behaviour change in spite of what the mind says. Committed action is like the final piece of the puzzle, the part that pushes the clients that final step toward actual behavior change

What is the method of committed action? 1. Identifying valued life goals and link to an action plan 2. Keeping commitments in the presences of emotional barriers 3. Appreciating the qualities of committed action by expanding our committed behaviour Here we should start small and then build over time

Important Note that slips and relapses are very likely The job of the ACT therapist is to help clients learn how to integrate relapses in the larger patterns of effective action they are trying to build into their lives Lets watch the video!