Do you have any other resources for identifying values within the ACT framework? I’ve focused on the ACT psychological flexibility framework and narrowed down my own values to equanimity and self-discipline.
I have trouble delineating between/incoporating “roles” (father, parent, child, community member, co-worker/leader) and “life domains” (relationships, health/wellness, financial security, quality leisure, community involvement) with the psychological flexibility framework and values (more in the way you’ve defined them). “be a good <insert role>” or “focus on good/quality in <life domain>”.
Do you have thoughts or other places I could look to further explore? I love many of the topics/discussions on Psychologists off the Clock and your podcast appearances - particularly with Cal Newport and Brad Stulberg.
Hi Dan, Thanks for the lovely compliments (I adore Cal Newport and Brad Stulberg!). And thanks even more for the terrific question! You're asking about something that confuses a lot of people, actually. Here's a quick go at it, and I'll offer a few titles I love below if you want to go deeper.
The life domains offer a way to organize the work you do to develop psychological flexibility. You could define them any way, really, they are just setting the context in which you're doing the work of building psychological flexibility, which is always what we're trying to do in ACT. The 6 core processes (one of which is values clarification) all feed into psychological flexibility. If you google "ACT Hexaflex" you'll get a nice visual portrayal.
You can practice the core processes (each of which helps you be more psychologically flexible) in whatever life domain you're working on. If we're talking about relationships, that's the life domain you're focused on. Your core values might be showing up with equanimity. Practicing the other core processes in a difficult relationship might mean remaining easygoing and even-tempered, even as difficult feelings or thoughts come up (core processes of acceptance, mindfulness, defusion, and self-as-context) and committing to listening and keeping a half-smile on your face (this would represent the core process of committed action). Does that make sense?
One of my favorite primers on ACT because it's so accessible is Russ Harris' Happiness Trap. For an even more experiential go at ACT (without a therapist!), try The ACT Daily Journal by Diana Hill and Debbie Sorensen. And here's a link to a Psychologists Off the Clock episode that dives deep into values (https://offtheclockpsych.com/values-in-therapy/).
Let me know if I didn't answer the question you were asking, or if you're looking for different kinds of resources. Thank you for reaching out and listening/reading, Dan!
Thanks so much for the detailed answer. I think this helps frame the concepts for me in a way I can more easily understand. I have read the Happiness Trap and am familiar with the Hexaflex. Both are great. ACT has been the first psychology framework that has resonated with me. I recently purchased the ACT Daily Journal and I’m looking forward to working through it (as well as your book). Thanks for all the quality insights you share.
One of my most closely held values in relationships is honesty/clarity. I want to know what people offer me is who they are, not who they think I (or anyone else) want them to be. Even if you’re not my cup of tea, I can trust you to be the person you showed me, and that matters a lot.
Ah that's a good one. I'm reading Carl Rogers (On Becoming a Person) and he talks about honesty as critical for therapy. Disingenuousness is a real trust killer. Seems obvious but we so often don't think about it (and can too often fail to act on it!!). Thank you for this 🙏
Great article, Yael. Love how you reference ACT and highlight the importance of pairing goals with values - as well as remembering and recognizing the importance of relational values, too. Excellent!
Do you have any other resources for identifying values within the ACT framework? I’ve focused on the ACT psychological flexibility framework and narrowed down my own values to equanimity and self-discipline.
I have trouble delineating between/incoporating “roles” (father, parent, child, community member, co-worker/leader) and “life domains” (relationships, health/wellness, financial security, quality leisure, community involvement) with the psychological flexibility framework and values (more in the way you’ve defined them). “be a good <insert role>” or “focus on good/quality in <life domain>”.
Do you have thoughts or other places I could look to further explore? I love many of the topics/discussions on Psychologists off the Clock and your podcast appearances - particularly with Cal Newport and Brad Stulberg.
Hi Dan, Thanks for the lovely compliments (I adore Cal Newport and Brad Stulberg!). And thanks even more for the terrific question! You're asking about something that confuses a lot of people, actually. Here's a quick go at it, and I'll offer a few titles I love below if you want to go deeper.
The life domains offer a way to organize the work you do to develop psychological flexibility. You could define them any way, really, they are just setting the context in which you're doing the work of building psychological flexibility, which is always what we're trying to do in ACT. The 6 core processes (one of which is values clarification) all feed into psychological flexibility. If you google "ACT Hexaflex" you'll get a nice visual portrayal.
You can practice the core processes (each of which helps you be more psychologically flexible) in whatever life domain you're working on. If we're talking about relationships, that's the life domain you're focused on. Your core values might be showing up with equanimity. Practicing the other core processes in a difficult relationship might mean remaining easygoing and even-tempered, even as difficult feelings or thoughts come up (core processes of acceptance, mindfulness, defusion, and self-as-context) and committing to listening and keeping a half-smile on your face (this would represent the core process of committed action). Does that make sense?
One of my favorite primers on ACT because it's so accessible is Russ Harris' Happiness Trap. For an even more experiential go at ACT (without a therapist!), try The ACT Daily Journal by Diana Hill and Debbie Sorensen. And here's a link to a Psychologists Off the Clock episode that dives deep into values (https://offtheclockpsych.com/values-in-therapy/).
Let me know if I didn't answer the question you were asking, or if you're looking for different kinds of resources. Thank you for reaching out and listening/reading, Dan!
Thanks so much for the detailed answer. I think this helps frame the concepts for me in a way I can more easily understand. I have read the Happiness Trap and am familiar with the Hexaflex. Both are great. ACT has been the first psychology framework that has resonated with me. I recently purchased the ACT Daily Journal and I’m looking forward to working through it (as well as your book). Thanks for all the quality insights you share.
One of my most closely held values in relationships is honesty/clarity. I want to know what people offer me is who they are, not who they think I (or anyone else) want them to be. Even if you’re not my cup of tea, I can trust you to be the person you showed me, and that matters a lot.
Ah that's a good one. I'm reading Carl Rogers (On Becoming a Person) and he talks about honesty as critical for therapy. Disingenuousness is a real trust killer. Seems obvious but we so often don't think about it (and can too often fail to act on it!!). Thank you for this 🙏
Great article, Yael. Love how you reference ACT and highlight the importance of pairing goals with values - as well as remembering and recognizing the importance of relational values, too. Excellent!