8 Steps to Creating Therapy Goals

So you're here because your therapist wants to know your therapy goals? That's so exciting! Creating a treatment plan is an essential step toward healing and growth. Setting therapy goals helps you and your therapist create a roadmap for your treatment, which keeps you focused. 

Therapy goals can go beyond addressing specific symptoms or disorders because therapy can help improve relationships, develop coping skills, and enhance overall well-being. Although most therapeutic goals focus on decreasing symptoms, increasing positive behaviors, eliminating disruptive behaviors, enhancing relationships, and developing coping skills, yours can be tailored to your specific needs and desires.

As you move forward with therapy, remember to be patient with yourself and understand that healing is not a linear process. There will be ups and downs, and setbacks are a natural part of the process. In this blog post, we'll look at how to set effective therapy goals, including identifying your areas of concern, prioritizing your concerns, and creating action steps.

Step 1: Figure out what's worrying you

The first step in creating personal therapy goals is to identify the areas of your life that are causing you distress or concern. This could be anything from relationship issues to anxiety or depression. Reflect on what's been bothering you, and then write a list.

• To get clarity, you can start by asking yourself a few questions:

• What has been causing me the most stress or anxiety lately?

• Are there any patterns in my behavior or thoughts affecting my daily life?

• What are the things I want to change about myself or my life?

• Do I need help with any specific relationships or communication issues?

• What are my biggest fears or worries?

Take your time with this step, and try to be as honest with yourself as possible. Sometimes it can be difficult to admit our vulnerabilities or weaknesses, but this is an essential part of the process. 

Step 2: Decide what’s the most important

Once you have your list, prioritize them. Prioritizing your concerns can be challenging, as it requires confronting difficult emotions and acknowledging what's truly important to you. 

To help you prioritize the list, ask yourself the following:

• What is most urgent and requires immediate attention?

• Which has been causing me the most distress?

• Which, if resolved, would have the most significant positive impact on my life?

• Which has been affecting me for the longest?

Now you know which concerns are most pressing. These should be the starting point for your therapy goals. 

Step 3: Change your worries into goals

Next, it's time to reframe your concerns as goals. Instead of focusing on what you don't want, think about what you want. For example, instead of "I don't want to feel anxious all the time," reframe your goal as "I want to feel more relaxed and at ease."

Reframing your concerns as goals shifts your mindset from a negative, problem-focused perspective to a positive, solution-focused one. When you focus on what you want instead of what you don't want, you're more likely to feel motivated and empowered to make positive changes in your life.

To reframe your concerns as goals, ask yourself some questions such as: 

• What would I like to see happen in this area of my life? 

• What positive changes do I want to make? 

• What would my life look like if this concern was no longer an issue?

Once you have a clear idea of what you want to achieve, write your goals down clearly and concisely. Be specific and use positive language to describe what you want to accomplish. This will help you stay focused on your desired outcomes and give you a clear direction to work towards. This also lets you know when you've achieved your goal. If, after time, you're feeling more relaxed and at ease, you'll know you've reached your goal.

Step 4: Make your goals specific and measurable

Your goals need to be specific and measurable. This means that you need to define what success looks like and how you'll measure progress. For example, suppose your goal is to feel more relaxed. In that case, you could measure progress by tracking your daily anxiety levels or the number of panic attacks you experience.

When making your therapy goals remember the S.M.A.R.T. framework. S.M.A.R.T. stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. 

• Specific goals are clear and well-defined. 

• Measurable goals can be counted or observed. 

• Attainable goals are realistic and achievable. 

• Relevant goals are meaningful and aligned with your overall therapy objectives. 

• Time-bound goals have a defined timeline for completion.

Here's a hint: most therapeutic goals are focused on decreasing symptoms, increasing positive behaviors, eliminating disruptive behaviors, enhancing relationships, and developing coping skills. Making your goals specific and measurable allows you to track your progress and see how far you've come. This can help you stay motivated and focused on achieving your goals.

To make your goals "smarter," consider asking yourself:

• What specifically do I want to achieve?

• How will I know when I've achieved my goal?

• What specific behaviors or actions will help me achieve my goal?

• What obstacles might get in the way of achieving my goal?

• How will I overcome these obstacles?

Answering these questions can help you refine your goals. For example, suppose your goal is to enhance your relationship with your partner. In that case, you could make it more specific by defining what that means. Does it mean having more meaningful conversations? Spending more quality time together? By defining what you mean by "enhance your relationship," you can create a more specific goal that can be measured and tracked over time.

Step 5: Create action steps

Once you've defined your goals, it's time to create action steps. Action steps are the specific actions you'll take to achieve your goals. For example, suppose your goal is to feel more relaxed. In that case, your action steps include practicing meditation for 10 minutes daily, scheduling regular massages, or learning stress-reduction techniques.

Without specific actions, your goals will remain just a wish list. When identifying the steps, consider what resources and support you have to help you achieve your goals. And make sure you break down each goal into smaller, manageable steps. No one can eat an elephant in one sitting!

Here are some helpful questions to answer when creating action steps: 

• What resources and tools do I have to help me achieve this goal? 

• What specific actions do I need to take to get there? 

• Can this individual step be many smaller steps?

• How can I make them part of my daily routine? 

• What obstacles might I face, and how can I overcome them?

Step 6: Make a Plan

Now that you have your goals and action steps, it's time to finish the plan. The last step includes a timeline for achieving your goals and any resources you need to accomplish them. Set specific deadlines for your action steps and create a schedule to help you stay on track.

Start by reviewing your goals and action steps and determine which ones are the most important to focus on first. Consider what resources you may need to accomplish each goal and action step, such as therapy sessions, books or articles to read, or support from friends or family.

Once you've identified your priorities and resources, create a timeline for achieving each goal. Deadlines help you stay accountable and motivated, and they help you measure progress toward your goals. 

Be realistic about the time it will take to accomplish each goal and factor in any potential setbacks or obstacles that may arise. Life happens, and sometimes you may need to adjust your timeline. Remember, this is your plan, and modifying it as you go along is okay.

In addition to creating a timeline, it can be helpful to make a visual representation of your plan. This could be a calendar or chart that outlines your goals and action steps and helps you track your progress. 

Step 7: Adjust your goals if needed

Therapy is a dynamic process, so your goals will be revisited and revised as you progress. Feel free to adjust if they're not working. This will help you stay focused and motivated, ensuring your goals align with your needs. There's nothing worse than mapping out goals and then being too stressed out by the list itself to work on them. Your therapist can help you evaluate your progress and make adjustments as needed.

Here are some questions to ask to determine whether it is time to revise your goals

• Are you seeing progress?

• Are your action steps helping you achieve your goals? 

• Are they less effective than you had hoped? 

• Are your goals still relevant? 

Regularly checking in with yourself and your therapist allows you to evaluate your progress and adjust your goals as needed. This will help you stay on track toward achieving your desired changes.

Step 8: Healing is not linear

Please remember that healing is not a linear process. While setting therapeutic goals and creating a plan is important, it is equally important to recognize that progress may not always be consistent or predictable. Healing often involves setbacks and challenges, which can be viewed as opportunities for growth rather than failures. Please be patient and compassionate with yourself throughout the process.

Your plan is a living document that should be reviewed and updated frequently. Your therapist can help you stay accountable and offer guidance and support as you continue your healing journey.

By setting goals and creating a plan, you are taking an active role in your healing process and empowering yourself to make positive changes in your life. With the support of a therapist, a commitment to self-care, and a willingness to embrace the non-linear nature of healing, you can make meaningful progress toward a more fulfilling and satisfying life.

Try implementing these strategies to start taking better care of your mental health. If you need additional support, contact me and schedule a free consultation.