What’s in the worksheet
Eight life domains, each one a group with three fields. Then a synthesis section.The eight domains
| Group | Domain | Values prompt |
|---|---|---|
| Family | Family relationships | What kind of family member do you want to be? |
| Intimate | Intimate / romantic relationships | What kind of partner do you want to be? |
| Friends | Friendships | What kind of friend do you want to be? |
| Work | Work / education | What matters to you in this area? |
| Health | Health and self-care | How do you want to take care of yourself? |
| Recreation | Recreation, leisure, creativity | What activities matter to you? |
| Community | Community, citizenship, contribution | How do you want to contribute? |
| Spirituality | Spirituality / meaning | What gives your life meaning? |
- The values statement (textarea — free text)
- Importance, 0-10 (not → essential)
- Current alignment, 0-10 (not at all → strongly)
Synthesis
Two fields:- Where the biggest gap is between importance and current behavior
- One small step that would close that gap
Why the importance × alignment dual rating matters
A domain that’s rated high importance with low alignment is the clinical target. A domain rated low importance with low alignment isn’t a clinical problem — the client doesn’t care, and that’s a legitimate choice. A domain rated low importance with high alignment is fine. The interesting case is the high importance / low alignment quadrant: that’s where the client is living against their values, which is one of the maintenance mechanisms ACT treats. The dual rating prevents the worksheet from collapsing into a generic “are you living a meaningful life” question. It asks the question domain-by-domain and surfaces the specific gap.When to use it
- Session 3-6 of ACT treatment, after psychoeducation about values vs goals. Values are directions, not destinations — the worksheet is designed for the direction question, not the goal question.
- Depression with loss of meaning. Clients who’ve lost connection to what they used to care about, where the depression cycle has flattened the field of valued activity.
- Career or life transitions. Inflection points where the client is re-asking what to spend the next chapter on.
- “Going through the motions” presentations. Clients who are high-functioning externally but feel disengaged from their own lives.
- Revisited periodically. Not a one-time worksheet — values clarify over treatment, and re-doing the worksheet at session 12 or 24 surfaces the shift.
In-session mechanics
Templates → Values clarification. Eight domain sections plus the synthesis. You don’t have to fill all eight in one session — in practice, you walk through 2-3 domains together and the client takes the rest as reflection. The worksheet saves with the empty domains and you reopen across sessions to fill the rest. The eight domains × three fields format is the longest worksheet in this group. Plan for 30-45 minutes if you’re walking through it together end-to-end.Citation
Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K. D., & Wilson, K. G. (1999). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: An Experiential Approach to Behavior Change. Guilford Press. Wilson, K. G., & Murrell, A. R. (2004). “Values work in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: Setting a course for behavioral treatment.” In S. C. Hayes, V. M. Follette, & M. M. Linehan (Eds.), Mindfulness and Acceptance: Expanding the Cognitive-Behavioral Tradition. Lundgren, T. (2008). The Bull’s-Eye Values Survey — the dual-rating importance × alignment format derives from this tradition. ACT values clarification is published peer-reviewed clinical method. All field labels and prompts are original to Rivet.When not to use it
- Early in trauma treatment when the client is in acute symptom reduction. Values work assumes some bandwidth for reflection. Stabilize symptoms first.
- Clients who can’t yet articulate values verbally. A small minority of clients (often after long periods of severe depression or identity-flattening trauma) genuinely can’t access values without practitioner scaffolding. The worksheet may need to be done verbally rather than written, with the practitioner offering domain-by-domain prompts and the client responding in conversation.
- Goal setting. Values aren’t goals. If the client wants to set a goal, the problem solving worksheet is the right surface; values work belongs upstream of goals.
Related articles
Activity check-in
For scheduling activities that move toward identified values.
Problem solving
For acting on a chosen direction.
Self-compassion break
For the self-criticism that often surfaces during values work.