Setting Goals in
Counselling
Purvi Shah | Counselling Psychologist
SMART goals
• Identify what, where, when, and
Specific by and with whom.
• Identify how much or how often.
Measurable • To increase
• Identify if your goal is realistic exercise
Attainable • To make
• Identify the importance of your
new friends
Relevance goal to your long-term intentions.
• Identify the time frame and target
Time-bound date for goal completion.
Translating
Vague
Concerns into “I’m shy.” - “I want to be able to talk
Specific Goals: to people without getting nervous”
Subgoals Get good grades
What can you expect of yourself and
Enhance my life
your clients in terms of setting specific
goals? I want to be happy
First, the goals that are set can never
be more specific than your
I want to feel loved and
understanding and the client’s appreciated
understanding of the problem.
After you and your client have I want to stop feeling depressed
established the desired outcome goal
together, you can identify some
action steps that might help the client
achieve the overall goal or target.
Identifying outcome goals
Rationale for goal setting Outcome statements
•“Assuming we are successful, what would you be doing or
• “We’ve been talking about these two how would these situations change?”
areas that bother you. It might be •“What do you expect to accomplish as a result of
helpful now to discuss how you would counseling?
•assigning homework (“Make a list of what you can do now
like things to be different. We can and what you want to do one year from now”)
develop some goals to work toward •imagery (“Imagine being someone you admire. Who would
during our sessions. These goals will tell you be? What would you be doing? How would you be
different?”), by additional questioning (“If you could wave
us what you want as a result of a magic wand and have three wishes, what would they
counseling. So today, let’s talk about be?”)
some things you would like to work on.” •additional questioning (“If you could wave a magic wand
and have three wishes, what would they be?”)
•self-report questionnaires or inventories.
Ownership of Advantages and
Positive terms
goal disadvantages
• If the client responds to the • For example, a teenager • “In what ways is it
helper’s initial leads with a says, “I want my mom to worthwhile for you to pursue
negative answer, the helper stop yelling at me”; a a change?”
can help turn this around by teacher says, “I want this kid • “Tell me what you see as
saying something like “That to shut up so I can get some the benefits of this change.”
is what you don’t want to teaching done”; a husband • “Who would benefit from
do. Describe what you do says, “I want my wife to quit this change, and how?”
want to do [think, feel]” or nagging.”
• “How could this change
“What will you do instead, • “Who, specifically, is make life difficult for you?”
and can you see [hear, responsible for making this
feel] yourself doing it every • “Will pursuing this change
happen?”
time?” or “What do you affect your life in any
• “How much control do you adverse ways?”
want things in your life to have over making this
look like five years from • “What might be some
happen?”
now?” possible risks of doing this?”
Change issues in outcome goals
Precontemplation
Contemplation
Preparation
Action
Maintenance
Develop Goal Setting Plans for Each
Area of Life Activity
This is a great activity to revisit someone’s overall goals. Try
and encourage your client to create their ideal vision in
each area of life.
Health and wellness
Career
Social life
Personal life
Spiritual life