In my therapy session the goals are not set single handily by therapist. In the first counselling session, I will invite you to discuss and set your goal(s) together, since I believe mutual effort on setting goals will help you get the most out of it.

Now, here is a worksheet to start with goal setting if you prefer to prepare in advance to the session. Don’t worry if you would like to start the process only when we are having the session, because we are going to go through the same worksheet together in your first session.

Worksheet:

Q1

Please write down your thoughts on what you want to achieve in your counselling sessions.

Q2

Reflect on the thoughts you just wrote down, is it a specific goal?

For example, “I would like to be happier” is not a specific goal since being happy could mean multiple things, what are the specific things you are trying to achieve in your counselling goals?

A specific goal from I want to get rid of my bad habits would be “I want to quit smoking”.

Q3

Is it a measurable goal?

Sometimes it helps to put some measurable parts to our goals.

For example, “I want to study better” is not a measurable goal but “I want to get better grades in math than last term” is a measurable goal that could be monitored.

If you would like to set measurable goals on your subjective experience, like depression or anxiety, we could develop a simple measurement for that together in our sessions and there will also be some measurement available from me.

Q4

Is it an achievable goal for you?

Is it achievable for your current resources, capabilities and circumstances?

Also, a goal works better if it requires some stretch to achieve.

If it is not really achievable, it may also help to break down the goals into smaller goals that can translate directly into achievable steps you can take.

Q5

Is it a relevant goal for your current issues?

Or do you feel the current goal will contribute to better well-being?

Q6

Is it a time-bound goal?

When reviewing your goal, can you think of a specific date or time that the goal could be achieved? Allow a reasonable time for achieving your goal since it could lead to unnecessary anxiety if it is too tight or cause a loss of motivation if the time period is just too long.

Here is a pdf of the worksheet above if you want to download it: