A Guided Values Practice
The Core Compass: a guided values practice
A guided values practice is a structured, contemplative conversation designed to help you name what actually matters to you. The Core Compass is the four-step process we use to discover the three values most central to who you are.
You'll leave with a deeper understanding of yourself and a compass you can return to whenever life asks you to choose a direction.
The practice
What is a guided values practice?
A guided values practice is a slow, honest look at the values underneath the meaning you make.
Begins with your own words
We start with your life: recent decisions, recurring tensions, moments of unexpected peace. The values emerge from your actual experience.
Light structure, not a script
The four-step Core Compass gives the conversation a shape. Some sessions stay wide. Some go deep on a single value. We adapt to where you are.
Includes the body
Values aren't abstract — they're felt. Simple somatic attention helps surface what the mind hasn't yet given itself permission to say.
Differentiation
How a guided values practice differs from other approaches
There are many ways to approach values work. Here's how this practice fits alongside them.
Values worksheets
Self-directed exercises, often free.
A guided practice responds in real time. Someone hears what you say and asks the next question you didn't know to ask yourself.
ACT therapy
Clinical framework for values-based behavior change.
A guided values practice is contemplative, not clinical. No diagnosis, no treatment plan. Just presence and inquiry.
Core values meditations
Pre-recorded guidance for individual reflection.
A live, responsive conversation adapts to what's arising.
Life coaching
Goal-setting, accountability, strategy.
Values work comes before goals. You can't aim well if you don't know what you're aiming toward.
Why it matters
Values turn abstract ideas into something you can live by.
Find clarity in your choices
Your values help you recognize what is right for you, even when the path ahead isn't obvious.
Understand what's underneath conflict
Many tensions in work, family, and relationships become easier to navigate when you understand the values involved.
Return to yourself
In moments of uncertainty, your values can remind you who you are and what matters most.
The Process
A simple structure for meaningful exploration
Cast a wide net
Choose every value that genuinely resonates with you.
Choose what calls to you
7 of 60 selected
Create three value groups
Organize your values into three distinct categories based on the experiences they cultivate.
Group your values
Refine what matters most
Sort and compare your values through a guided process of reflection and discernment.
Sort into your three groups
Discover your core compass
Through a final series of 1:1 choices, you'll arrive at the three values most central to who you are.
Your three core values
What you'll walk away with
Three values, a framework, a way back to yourself.
- Three clearly defined core values
- A practical framework for decision-making and self-understanding
- Greater clarity around relationships, work, and personal direction
You'll also receive access to your private Core Compass page — a living space that documents your process, reflections, session notes, and current values.
It's yours to return to between sessions as your exploration continues.
The first pass takes about an hour.
We can start it in your first session.
FAQ
Common questions
- Do I need to know my values before we start?
- The practice is designed for exactly that. So don't worry if you haven't even considered values before.
- Is this the same as therapy?
- This is contemplative guidance, not clinical treatment. If you're in active crisis or managing a diagnosed condition, therapy may be the better starting point.
- Can I do this online?
- Yes. Sessions work well over video. If you're in Kansas City, in-person is also available.
- What if I've already done values exercises?
- Many people have! A guided values practice goes deeper than worksheets can. The difference is the living, responsive conversation.