Organismic Valuing Process

Definition

The organismic valuing process is your innate ability to evaluate experiences based on whether they enhance or diminish your overall well-being and growth as a person. This internal wisdom system helps you naturally gravitate toward experiences, relationships, and choices that support your psychological health and authentic development while moving away from those that are harmful or growth-inhibiting. When you trust and follow your organismic valuing process, you make decisions that align with your true self and promote your overall flourishing rather than being guided solely by external expectations or learned conditions of worth.

Understanding Organismic Valuing Process

Innate Wisdom

You possess an innate wisdom that can guide you toward what is healthy and growth-promoting.

Internal Guidance System

The organismic valuing process serves as an internal guidance system for making life decisions.

Growth Orientation

It naturally orients you toward experiences that promote growth and well-being.

Authentic Self-Direction

It helps you make choices based on your authentic self rather than external pressures.

Holistic Evaluation

The process evaluates experiences based on their impact on your whole being.

Natural Tendency

It represents your natural tendency toward psychological health and self-actualisation.

What Organismic Valuing Process Addresses

External Validation Dependence

Reducing dependence on external validation and approval for decision-making.

Conditions of Worth

Overcoming learned conditions that make your worth dependent on meeting others' expectations.

Disconnection from Self

Reconnecting with your authentic self and internal wisdom.

Poor Decision-Making

Improving decision-making by trusting your internal guidance system.

Value Confusion

Clarifying your authentic values versus imposed or learned values.

Self-Trust Issues

Building trust in your own judgment and internal wisdom.

Research and Evidence

What Studies Show

Research demonstrates that people who trust their organismic valuing process show higher levels of psychological well-being, authentic decision-making leads to greater life satisfaction, individuals who follow their internal guidance experience less anxiety and depression, and trusting internal wisdom is associated with better self-esteem and personal growth.

Components of Organismic Valuing

Bodily Felt Sense

Your body's physical responses to experiences and choices provide valuable information.

Emotional Responses

Your emotional reactions indicate whether experiences are growth-enhancing or growth-inhibiting.

Intuitive Knowing

Your intuitive sense of what feels right or wrong for you personally.

Energy Levels

Changes in your energy levels in response to different experiences and choices.

Sense of Aliveness

Whether experiences make you feel more alive and vibrant or drained and diminished.

Authentic Resonance

Whether choices and experiences resonate with your authentic self and values.

Characteristics of Organismic Valuing

Present-Moment Based

The process operates in the present moment rather than being based on past conditioning.

Holistic Assessment

It considers the impact on your whole being rather than just one aspect.

Growth-Oriented

It naturally guides you toward experiences that promote growth and development.

Flexible and Adaptive

The process is flexible and adapts to changing circumstances and development.

Non-Judgemental

It operates without moral judgment, focusing on what enhances or diminishes well-being.

Personally Relevant

The guidance is personally relevant to your unique circumstances and development.

Cultural and Individual Considerations

Cultural Competence

Understanding how your cultural background influences your relationship with internal guidance and decision-making.

Individual Differences

Recognising that people may have different ways of accessing and trusting their organismic valuing process.

Cultural Values

Respecting cultural values regarding individual versus collective decision-making and authority.

Family Influences

Understanding how family patterns may have affected your connection to internal wisdom.

Trauma Impact

Recognising how trauma may have disrupted your connection to organismic valuing.

Social Conditioning

Understanding how social conditioning may have overridden your natural valuing process.

Professional Applications

If You're Developing Organismic Valuing

You will make decisions that better align with your authentic self, you will experience greater life satisfaction, you will develop stronger self-trust, and you will live more authentically.

For Mental Health Professionals

Supporting organismic valuing requires helping clients reconnect with internal wisdom, addressing barriers to self-trust, facilitating awareness of authentic responses, and supporting authentic decision-making.

Therapeutic Facilitation

Understanding how to help clients access and trust their organismic valuing process.

Your Experience of Organismic Valuing

Internal Awareness

Developing awareness of your internal responses to different experiences and choices.

Self-Trust Building

Building trust in your own judgment and internal wisdom.

Authentic Decision-Making

Making decisions based on your authentic responses rather than external expectations.

Value Clarification

Clarifying your authentic values through attention to your organismic responses.

Growth Orientation

Naturally gravitating toward experiences that promote your growth and well-being.

Self-Direction

Becoming more self-directed and autonomous in your choices and life direction.

Accessing Organismic Valuing

Body Awareness

Paying attention to your body's responses to different experiences and choices.

Emotional Awareness

Noticing your emotional reactions to various options and experiences.

Mindfulness Practice

Using mindfulness to tune into your present-moment responses.

Quiet Reflection

Creating quiet time to listen to your internal wisdom and guidance.

Journalling

Using journalling to explore your authentic responses to experiences.

Meditation

Using meditation to connect with your deeper wisdom and knowing.

Benefits of Organismic Valuing

Authentic Living

Living more authentically according to your true self and values.

Better Decision-Making

Making decisions that better serve your overall well-being and growth.

Increased Self-Trust

Developing greater trust in your own judgment and wisdom.

Enhanced Well-Being

Experiencing enhanced psychological well-being through authentic choices.

Reduced Anxiety

Experiencing less anxiety when decisions align with your authentic self.

Personal Growth

Facilitating personal growth through choices that support development.

Barriers to Organismic Valuing

Conditions of Worth

Learned conditions that make your worth dependent on meeting others' expectations.

External Pressure

Pressure from others to make decisions based on their values rather than your own.

Past Trauma

Trauma that has disrupted your connection to internal wisdom and guidance.

Social Conditioning

Social conditioning that has taught you to ignore or distrust your internal responses.

Fear of Disapproval

Fear of disapproval or rejection if you follow your authentic guidance.

Perfectionism

Perfectionist tendencies that interfere with trusting your natural responses.

Developing Trust in Organismic Valuing

Small Steps

Starting with small decisions to build trust in your internal guidance.

Response Tracking

Tracking your responses to different experiences to identify patterns.

Outcome Observation

Observing the outcomes of decisions made through organismic valuing.

Support Seeking

Seeking support from others who value and trust internal wisdom.

Therapy Work

Working in therapy to address barriers to trusting your organismic valuing.

Mindfulness Practice

Developing mindfulness practices that enhance connection to internal wisdom.

Organismic Valuing in Daily Life

Decision-Making

Using organismic valuing to guide daily decisions large and small.

Relationship Choices

Applying internal wisdom to relationship decisions and interactions.

Career Decisions

Using organismic valuing to guide career and work-related choices.

Lifestyle Choices

Making lifestyle choices based on what enhances your well-being.

Creative Expression

Following your organismic valuing in creative and expressive activities.

Personal Growth

Using internal guidance to direct your personal growth and development.

Common Applications

Life Transitions

Using organismic valuing to navigate major life transitions and changes.

Relationship Issues

Applying internal wisdom to relationship problems and decisions.

Career Guidance

Using organismic valuing for career direction and work-related decisions.

Personal Development

Following internal guidance for personal growth and development.

Creative Pursuits

Trusting organismic valuing in creative and artistic endeavors.

Health and Wellness

Using internal wisdom to guide health and wellness decisions.

Challenges to Organismic Valuing

Conflicting Messages

Dealing with conflicts between internal guidance and external expectations.

Uncertainty Tolerance

Learning to tolerate uncertainty when following internal guidance.

Social Pressure

Managing social pressure to conform rather than follow authentic guidance.

Past Conditioning

Overcoming past conditioning that interferes with trusting internal wisdom.

Fear of Mistakes

Fear of making mistakes when following organismic valuing.

Cultural Conflicts

Navigating conflicts between internal guidance and cultural expectations.

Supporting Others' Organismic Valuing

Validation

Validating others' internal responses and authentic choices.

Non-Judgemental Support

Providing non-judgemental support for others' authentic decision-making.

Encouragement

Encouraging others to trust their internal wisdom and guidance.

Space Creation

Creating space for others to explore their authentic responses.

Modeling

Modelling trust in organismic valuing in your own life and decisions.

Patience

Being patient as others learn to trust their internal guidance.

Integration with Other Approaches

Mindfulness Integration

Integrating mindfulness practices that support organismic valuing.

Body-Based Integration

Combining with somatic approaches that enhance body awareness.

Cognitive Integration

Integrating with cognitive approaches while maintaining trust in internal wisdom.

Spiritual Integration

Incorporating spiritual practices that support connection to internal guidance.

Therapeutic Integration

Using organismic valuing principles in various therapeutic approaches.

Life Coaching Integration

Applying organismic valuing principles in life coaching and personal development.

Moving Forward

Continued Trust Building

Continuing to build trust in your organismic valuing process throughout life.

Authentic Living

Living authentically according to your internal wisdom and guidance.

Decision-Making Enhancement

Enhancing all your decision-making through organismic valuing.

Conclusion

The organismic valuing process is a powerful internal guidance system that can help you make authentic decisions, live according to your true self, and promote your overall well-being and growth. By learning to trust and follow this innate wisdom, you can create a more authentic, satisfying, and growth-oriented life that aligns with your deepest values and authentic self.

References

1. Govindji, R., & Linley, P. A. (2007). Organismic Valuing Scale [Database record]. APA PsycTests. https://doi.org/10.1037/t44203-000 ↑

2. American Psychological Association. (2018). Organismic valuing process. In APA Dictionary of Psychology. https://dictionary.apa.org/organismic-valuing-process ↑

3. Mearns, D., & Thorne, B., McLeod, J. (2013). Person‑centred counselling in action (4th ed.). SAGE Publications Ltd. https://www.amazon.com/Person-Centred-Counselling-Action/dp/1446252531 ↑