Values

Setting goals as endpoints vs. identifying valued directions to head in

Setting Goals vs. Identifying Valued Directions

Goal-setting is a popular thing; plug it into Google search, and there are billions of hits. But is goal-setting always the best approach? Maybe identifying and heading in valued directions can be a good alternative some of the time, especially if something like mental illness is making the whole goals thing difficult. Valued directions in …

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The role of values in acceptance and commitment therapy

The Role of Values in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Values play a key role in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), a psychotherapeutic approach that aims to increase psychological flexibility. ACT emphasizes acceptance rather than resistance, and the “commitment” part of the name comes from taking committed actions in service of our values. Values as directions We live in a very goal-oriented world. Goals serve …

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What Is... Series (Insights into Psychology)

What Is… Moralization: When Preferences Become Values

In this series, I dig a little deeper into the meaning of psychology-related terms. This week’s term is moralization. The term moralization was introduced by psychologist Paul Rozin in the late 1990s to describe the process by which people’s preferences are transformed into values. Rozin’s research looked at how, for some people, vegetarianism had become …

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Am I a bad person? Or maybe that's the wrong question

Am I a Bad Person? Or Is That the Wrong Question?

“Am I a bad person?” It seems to be a fairly common question. Searching for that question on Google yields 263 million hits. I’ve also seen it raised in the blogosphere. Regardless of what the answer may or may not seem to be, though, is it a valid and/or useful question? What exactly is a …

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Mental Health @ Home book review: Escaping the Emotional Roller Coaster

Book Review: Escaping the Emotional Roller Coaster

Escaping the Emotional Roller Coaster by Dr. Patricia Zurita Ona draws upon acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) techniques to help “super-feelers” work with their emotions more effectively. What is a super-feeler?  It’s someone who struggles with emotional regulation, meaning they experience intense emotions and strong emotional reactions.  The book focuses on emotional sensitivity; this is …

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Setting Sail with the ACT Life Compass

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a type of psychotherapy that takes the stance that avoidance and resistance to internal experiences identified as negative is what causes cognitive distress. To resolve distress, ACT suggests that we need to employ strategies like mindfulness, de-fusion from our thoughts, and recognizing the self as the context in which …

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Mental Health @ Home book review: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

Book Review: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck by Mark Manson claims to provide “a counterintuitive approach to living a good life.” He wrote this book in reaction to the problems he saw in the self-help industry. His own background is as a blogger; there’s no indication that he has a background in psychology or …

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