"But I already do all that!" Values Work & The ACT Matrix
Where to go next when a client already engages in workable toward moves.
Picture this: You’re meeting with a client for the first time and as you are leading them through the ACT Matrix they have a ton of very workable Away Moves, lots of stuff that is important to them, and up in the top right, they can provide several different examples of exactly what Toward Moves they engage in on a regular basis.
The upper right quadrant is full of workable actions and the client may even say “I already do all these things.” And yet. . . their life is not where they want it to be. There’s a hidden misery, or suffering, or just a general sense that something is missing or not quite right for them.
What do we do? Where do we go from here?
Too often I see therapists get caught up in thinking that the “solution” to a clients’ problems, or the key to a happy life is simply to engage in values guided actions. But what if the client says they already do all of that stuff!
In my experience, this type of client presentation is a sign that values clarification work needs to be done. The client is likely exactly right when they say that “something is missing.”
We don’t actually want to be in the position of getting the client to do more Toward Moves, if we find ourselves there as therapists that’s a sign that we should slow down a bit and refocus on what matters most. . .
And what matters most is what matters most to the client that’s sitting in front of you.
You might have clients ask themselves questions like:
What people, places, and things have my attention on a daily basis?
What is my motivation for getting up and doing what I do?
What is my sense of purpose? How has my sense of purpose changed over time? What was it like when I was a child? What did I think I would be doing with my life as an adult?
If I could freely choose who and what gets my full focus, and things like obligations, money, etc. didn’t exist. Who and what would get my focus, and how would I show that?
What are my actions making important in my life? Do I weigh these things as important as my actions are making them seem?
Let yourself and your clients get creative in this space, and notice what happens.
Respectfully Submitted,
Jacob Martinez // Through the ACT Matrix