ABSTRACT
Values are guides to actions in the moment. They act as a compass does, which is to say they suggest a direction for behaviour that can be undertaken in the present moment. Therapists construct their values using words and by interacting with the verbal community. Feelings are important to values work, but values are verbal. Values are a direction whereas goals are more like a destination. Values-based behaviours evolve over time in a dynamic and flexible way. Being a loving partner today may mean a completely different set of behaviours tomorrow, even though the value remains stable. The anxiety that can occur in the presence of intimacy is connected to the value of being a loving partner, and appetitive functions can be layered over the aversive functions.
