How To Determine Personal Goals In Therapy
While therapy can improve a wide variety of mental health conditions, different disorders and symptoms often require different treatment plans. It can be important to identify your goals in therapy, and from there create a framework of what you want to achieve and improve on with each session.
If a therapist knows a client would like to improve their self-compassion, they may suggest a different therapeutic method or treatment plan than they would a client who would like to address anxieties related to social situations or other mental health conditions. You might consider your relationships with yourself and others, as well as what you want out of life, to determine your personal development goals. Working with a therapist to determine your therapy goals can help you receive corresponding treatment, and one way to connect with a mental health professional who can help you achieve your short or long-term goals may be through online therapy.
Setting goals for therapy
When you’re setting therapy or treatment goals, it makes sense to think about the areas of your life you’d like to improve, where you would like to see growth, or what you want to achieve. You can start with concrete, actionable goals, like wishing you had a different job or had more time to spend with your friends. Or you could dive into goals related to feelings and emotions, like becoming less angry around conflict or more optimistic in the face of challenges.
Relationships with others
While your relationship with yourself can largely impact the relationships you have with others, your interpersonal reactions should generally still be taken under advisement as you consider various therapy goals.
- Do you have trouble connecting with your family or other people who are close to you?
- How do you feel about getting out in the world and meeting new people?
- How do you feel before and after social situations?
Many factors can impact the quality of your relationships with others, including stress and anxiety. Through the course of working with a therapist, they will get a sense of your goals and may offer strategies for improving communication and your relationships with others. This may involve working on qualities such as listening skills and empathy, or it could involve finding the confidence to leave toxic relationships.
Life views and goals
One of the simplest ways to identify specific goals can be to think about what you want in life. This could be a tangible item, like a stable home without financial worries, or an intangible desire, such as self-confidence and love from others.
Figuring out what you want in life may take time, and that’s okay. Sitting down with your therapist and talking this out may help certain things surface or bring about new inspiration. Don’t be afraid to ponder this; think about who you are and what you want. Once you know what you want out of life, you can figure out the necessary steps to accomplish your goals.
Your wants can, and likely will, change over time. That means your goals may also change. By being honest with yourself and your current wants and needs, you can continue to work toward the life you desire and deserve.
Deciding therapy goals as you progress
There can be a misconception that people must know everything they want out of therapy before meeting with their therapist. This is generally not true. It may help to have some therapy goals in mind before your first session, but this doesn’t mean that you must know everything you want before starting therapy.
When you work with a therapist and your counseling relationship becomes stronger, you are likely going to be doing a lot of talking. During this process, your therapist will typically ask questions to understand your situation and figure out how they can help and guide you. As you are going through this process, certain things will likely surface, and you or your therapist may recognize patterns regarding thoughts and emotions. You can then use these patterns to develop therapy goals.
Find out what your goals might be
With that said, even if you don’t know your therapy goals, you can still connect with a therapist. In-person therapy sessions may be one option, and online therapy may be another. Since online therapy typically allows you to meet with your therapist from anywhere with a strong internet connection, you may find it easier to fit into your schedule. Additionally, if you find you don’t connect with one therapist, you can easily connect with another who you may feel more comfortable with.
If you’re wondering if online therapy is as effective as traditional therapy, you’re not alone. In the past decade, multiple studies have been conducted to compare online and in-person therapy. Results suggest that online therapy can be just as effective as traditional therapy, and it can improve symptoms associated with anxiety, depression, panic disorder, and more.
Takeaway
While you don’t need to have specific goals in mind to begin therapy, setting goals can help you think about and achieve what you’d like. Goal-setting often takes place with the help of a therapist, so don’t worry if you feel like you need some guidance to determine the right goals for you. You may also consider your relationship with yourself, your relationships with others, and what you want in life in order to discover goals that resonate with you. Creating goals that are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) can set you up for success. If you’d like to work with a licensed therapist to achieve your goals, don’t hesitate to reach out for help in person or online.
What are examples of good therapy goals?
Setting goals in therapy can help you get motivated, track your progress, and stay focused. Some examples of overarching goals an individual might want to achieve in therapy include:
- Understanding the relationship between your thoughts and feelings
- Learning and practicing healthier coping skills
- Improving communication skills
- Addressing harmful or unhelpful behaviors and making positive behavioral changes, like reducing substance use or screen time
- Increasing self-esteem and identifying root causes of low self-esteem
- Processing traumatic events and learning how to manage overwhelming emotions in healthier ways
- Learning how to cultivate healthy relationships to increase social support
More than 75% of people who attend talk therapy say that they get at least some benefit from it.
What is the goal of therapy?
The overarching goal of psychotherapy is to improve daily functioning, mental health, and quality of life. The specific goals of therapy can vary significantly from person to person based on the specific issues they’re experiencing.
What are the 5 major goals of the counseling process?
The primary goals of therapy are generally to:
- Relieve symptoms or reduce symptom severity of a mental health condition
- Maintain or increase functioning in everyday life
- Improve quality of life and wellbeing
- Develop healthy coping skills
- Understand thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
Through therapy, people can better understand themselves, improve their ability to carry out daily functions, and enhance their well-being. While these are often the overarching goals and most common reasons people may be seeking therapy, many people benefit from setting individualized goals for areas where they’d like to improve.
How do I figure out my goals in therapy?
To figure out what goals you’d like to set in therapy, consider why you wanted to start therapy in the first place, journal about what specifics you think might be hindering your progress, and focus on one specific area (such as bad habits, past trauma, or behaviors that are hurting your relationships) that you want to work on.
Setting therapy goals requires some self-reflection and insight. If it’s too hard to set specific and actionable goals, consider bringing it up with your therapist. A good therapist can help you brainstorm and develop both short and long-term goals.
What are SMART goals in therapy, and what is the value of this goal setting approach?
SMART goals are goals that are:
- S: Specific
- M: Measurable
- A: Achievable
- R: Relevant
- T: Time-bound
While many people have goals to improve their mental health, such as “I want to stop procrastinating,” they’re often difficult to achieve because they’re vague and broad. Actionable SMART goals can help you measure progress and stay motivated. Some examples of SMART goals you might set as part of self-care might include:
- I will go outside for 30 minutes every day during the upcoming workweek
- I want to go to bed by 10:30 each night
- Next time I engage in negative self-talk, I will say something kind and compassionate to myself instead
SMART goals can help you create frameworks that make your goals clearer and more tangible, laying the groundwork to improve your mental well-being and daily functioning.
What are the short-term goals for therapy?
Short-term therapy goals are the things you can accomplish daily that help you work towards your long-term goals. For example, while your long-term goal might be to recover from a traumatic experience, your short-term goals might help you practice self-compassion or cope with triggers.
What are the goals of therapy for anxiety?
Many people have different therapeutic goals for anxiety depending on their unique concerns and the type of anxiety they’re experiencing. For example, you might want to focus on coping with overwhelming worry, desensitizing yourself to social situations, learning to problem-solve, or managing panic attacks. Overall, therapy for anxiety tends to focus on managing symptoms of anxiety, enhancing daily functioning, and improving quality of life.
What are professional goals for a therapist?
Some examples of professional goals for therapists include:
- Expanding therapeutic approaches to meet client needs
- Improving client outcomes and well-being
- Continuing specialized education in specific areas of clinical psychology
- Challenging biases to improve the therapy experience
- Cultivating a more inclusive and non-judgmental therapeutic environment
How do you figure out your therapy goals and treatment plan?
Developing therapy goals often requires some self-reflection. Here are some tips that can help you determine your own concrete goals for therapy:
- Start by broadly thinking about why you want to attend therapy
- Consider thematic areas you might want to focus on, such as procrastination, problematic behaviors, negative self-talk, or feelings of loneliness
- Next, think about specific goals you might want to achieve that fit within these themes (it might help to journal about them)
- Finally, turn these goals into SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals
It’s okay if you’re finding it challenging to create mental health goals on your own, many people struggle to set therapy goals for themselves. But even if you don’t define your goals independently, thinking about what you want to get out of the process before your first therapy session can be beneficial for both you and your therapist. In these initial sessions, many licensed therapists often ask a few questions about what someone is hoping to gain from the therapeutic process tohelp people identify their goals, and then develop a treatment plan that aligns with those.
What is the end goal of therapy for mental health?
Talk therapy aims to promote positive changes in mental health, thought processes, behaviors, emotional well-being, social functioning, life satisfaction, and overall quality of life.
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