When people “live by their values”, they tend to experience a greater level of emotional fulfilment than if they go against their core values in the things that they do. Core values can be thought of almost as a “code of conduct” that we have developed for ourselves, that helps us choose how to act and react in a way that is congruent with the things that we value most. The descriptions of the strengths also eliminate the need to explore the definition of each strength, which shortens the time they may need to facilitate the understanding of how strengths may apply to their everyday activities.

What do I want this strength to look like in practice? Provide an example of how you want this strength to manifest in your daily life. The client can repeat the exercise for multiple values or revisit the same value later. Personal Values Worksheet Problematic thoughts and emotions – W hat negative or unhelpful mental patterns, processes, and self-talk do you struggle with?

Strength cards can also act as concrete reminders for individuals about their potential. For example, therapists can encourage their clients to carry the cards with them to remind them of their positive attributes and as encouragement when they are feeling hopeless (Kobau et al., 2011).

Kaiser, R. B., & Overfield, D. V. (2011). Strengths, strengths overused and lopsided leadership. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 63(2), 89–109 Ask the child to select one or two strengths that they want to develop. Ask: “Is there anything you’d like to become better at?” The Values in Action (VIA) Inventory of Strengths and VIA Inventory of Strengths–Youth Version (Peterson & Seligman, 2004) were subsequently developed as self-report measures to determine character strengths. The VIA classification of strengths defines 24 character strengths organized into six overarching virtues. Knowing our highest-valued life domains is essential for identifying which areas of our lives need the most attention. ACT conversation cards are a therapeutic tool for working with values in line with Acceptence and Commitment Therapy. These conversation cards create, evolve and shape surprisingly meaningful perspectives on life and suit youth and adults.

By sorting and prioritizing which of these values are most important in your life -- and which are not -- you’ll get a better understanding of what motivates you. You can change the name of the Life Value to best fit your own life – choose your own words. E.g. “Conservation”, “Keeping the woods clean” or “Gardening”. Brings clarity to the complex topic of valued living and provides hands-on tools to assess and increase purpose in life An exploration of values with a focus on helping clients discover what is important to them and how to live them Common difficulties encountered by practitioners, coaches, and teachers include how to use strength cards and what follow-up activities will solidify the significance of understanding one’s strengths.