Overview
“Alignment” as a concept has wide applicability in psychology, self-help, spirituality and religion, and recovery circles. In general, it refers to bringing different components of an overall system into coordinated functionality. Some examples include alignment of mind-body-soul, of internal values with external behaviors, and of oneself with one’s environment.
History and Etymology
One of the earliest concepts of misalignment in modern clinical psychology comes out of cognitive dissonance theory, advanced by Leon Festinger in 1957, which posits that when people’s behavior contradicts their internal beliefs, they experience psychological distress. Though it doesn’t explicitly use the concept of alignment, we can easily see how the language of misalignment can be applied to the mismatch between internal and external realities.
In 2011, Mary Leamy and a team of researchers who proposed the CHIME Framework after a meta-analysis of 97 papers from 13 countries led them to identify five core components of recovery processes:
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Connectedness: a sense of belonging fueled by supportive relationships, community participation, and social inclusion
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Hope and optimism: a belief that change and recovery are possible, which often involves role models and aspirations
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Identity: a sense of self based around one’s positive attributes that challenge external and internalized stigma
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Meaning: a pursuit of purposeful existence guided by personal values, principles, and philosophies
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Empowerment: a sense of agency, autonomy, and authority over one’s life that allows decision-making according to one’s strengths and values
“Alignment” as a term is used explicitly when referring to the mapping between daily actions and the CHIME components, especially for Identity and Meaning.