VALUES AND PURPOSE CLARIFICATION

Value clarification is a cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) method that aims at helping individuals comprehend their value systems. This section will contain the clarification of values and why in CBT it is essential. Lastly, this section will cover how to use clarification of values in treatment.

What Is Clarification of Values? A Definition

Values are “fundamental attitudes that guide our mental processes and behaviour,” which “creates the belief that life is meaningful and serves as a measure of how meaningful one’s actions are, that is, consistent with the value system of that person” (Vyskocilova et al., 2015).

Clarification of values is an element of CBT involving the identification of the personal value system of a patient and the creation of a hierarchy of values that are essential to that patient.

Used to set therapy objectives for the patient, this value scheme can assist a patient leave their comfort area to enhance their quality of life.

15 + Examples of Personal & Core Values

Some examples of personal values include (Frankl, 1963 ; Vyskocilova et al., 2015):

  • Creative values or Working or Creating stuff

  • Experiential values or Appreciating beauty (in nature, music, etc.) or Love

  • Attitudinal values or attitudes towards inevitable occurrences such as disease, death and loss.

A key element of growth is the Influence Of Moral Dilemmas On A Value System Moral dilemmas. In adolescence, individuals “create their moral self-concept on the basis of their experience of daily life, where they have to create choices and control their habits when facing fresh difficulties and social influences” (Paciello et al., 2013).

In other words, while they may be awkward and detrimental to relationships, moral dilemmas assist individuals form their value systems and refine them by forcing them to think about their values.

Therefore, value clarification is a useful instrument that can assist individuals refine their value systems in a low-risk setting, rather than having to refine their value system in a high-risk scenario, such as when faced with a real-life moral dilemma.