ABSTRACT
Values work has potential to bring the full kaleidoscope of emotions to the fore, as clients engage in life in new and creative ways that offer vitality, purpose, and meaning. As such, it can be both exciting and scary, somewhat like riding a rollercoaster. The compass metaphor is a useful way to bring the activity of valuing alive. Checking in with values is like using a compass, in that the compass gives information about what steps and actions can be taken in a particular direction. In connecting the vulnerability that goes with caring deeply for someone with a value of intimacy, vulnerability is transformed from something that must be eliminated, to something that is in fact a sign of valued action. In circumstances where the client has experienced considerable amounts of stuckness, it will be important to build mindfulness, acceptance, and defusion skills first.
