Working with people with Mental Health and conflict issues
Author: David Nancarrow
The most effective way to identify your core value is to ask your client to describe a problem in their life something that made them anger, hurt or offended. While listening to them describe this situation focus on how they talk about the problem. What value words do they use? Don’t focus on the circumstances and the situation so much, but more on how they describe the situation. It’s difficult not to get caught up in how they feel. You want to know why they feel that way.
The more you listen to your client’s differently the more you will hear them use powerful value words. Some of the value words you hear may take you as the practitioner some adjustment to consider their importance. What really explains the client’s anger or mental distress? What value words do they keep repeating?
The ultimate aim is to help your client discover their core value for themselves. The interesting part is we assume the client hears their own value words. Some values are identified by the client but these are sub-values. They come and go depending on the situation. However the core value which interprets everything that happens to them is hidden from them at a subconscious level. I have had clients write their problems down even recorded them talking about their problems and still they do not hear nor see their core value. I find this fascinating.
Pointing out the core value to clients is not ideal but if their can discover it for themselves I have noticed over the last ten years it is usually life changing.
Client report greater emotional regulation, self-awareness, self-esteem and mental health. All this from understanding their core value is quite remarkable. Discussion are currently been undertaken for an Australian University to conduct some clinical trial on the Core Value Therapy. This will be very new and exciting development.