Core Value Therapy

Core value therapy started with a client of mine in early 2007. Theclient came for anger management and kept mentioning people keptpressing their button. I made a circle on the white board and said, 'weare going to find this button'. This began a conversation about whatbothered them about other people's actions towards them. What wasrevealed was a value word.I observed in clients that their particular value was influencingtheir anger. For example, clients would say, 'I don't like it when otherpeople disrespect me and don't accept what have to say.' This may notsound like some amazing revelation, as we can all relate to hearingclients say these sorts of things. The critical discovery I have madewith statements like this, is clients do not actually hear the majority ofthese value words. For example, in the above statement, the valuewords 'respect' and 'acceptance'. Assisting clients to discover, connectwith and take charge of their value words is now known as 'CoreValue Therapy'.Key aspects of Core Value TherapyOne key aspect of Core Value Therapy is listening for valuewords in stories which have made clients feel strong feelings mainly feelings such as anger, becoming annoyed or offended. Thesestories are embedded with values. These values influence a client'sbehaviour, thoughts and emotions.Once a client discovers their core value they improve remarkablywell in their emotional regulation when applying the core value tothemselves in situations distressing to them. It is very much like thecore value is the centre of the problem and then becomes the answerto that problem. In this way it tends to shift the 'locus of control' fromthe other person back to themselves.Another key aspect of Core Value Therapy is the acknowledgement that clients do not hear themselves say their core valuewords despite saying them very frequently. Clients' core values arehidden from their conscious mind. Therefore, they are operatingfrom an unconscious state. Many clients have told me they do notknow why they get angry and can't make sense of it. The moment thevalue is revealed it makes sense to them what is going on and theybegin to see the world completely differently, through a different lens.When clients apply their value correctly to themselves and toothers, they report increase in self-esteem, improvement in relationships and stabilisation of emotion regulation. This approach isexplained in more detail in the 'Clinician Techniques for Core ValueTherapy' section.For most practitioners, when we hear the clients' stories on a dailybasis, we get engrossed in the circumstances and details of that story,want to know what is going on, focus on their feelings and focus onsolutions. All this is good and worthwhile while we often miss themain point. The main point is found in what types of value words theclient uses to tell their story. It represents the meaning of the story tothem. Over ten years practising Core Value Therapy, I have observedclients use countless different value words. I do not interpret thatvalue word, change it or put my own spin on it.Most practitioners who attend Core Value Therapy training statethey have to learn to listen differently to their clients from now onand will need to expand their vocabulary on what constitutes a 'corevalue word'.