Therapy Goals Worksheet

Goal-setting in therapy

Despite the significant variation in different types of therapeutic treatment, there is one intervention method that is used across all therapies: goal-setting. In order for a client to achieve desired clinical outcomes, they have to have an understanding of what these goals are. When clients first begin therapy treatment, it is common practice for the therapist to determine what exactly the client is hoping to achieve. With this in mind, the therapist and client can collaboratively design a treatment plan that targets the client’s goals, helping them achieve good clinical outcomes.

What is a Therapy Goals Worksheet?

The Therapy Goals Worksheet consists of a set of questions that helps clients identify their goals for therapy regarding their presenting complaints. It provides them with a well-established framework that helps them set and track their therapeutic goals. This type of worksheet typically includes sections for the client's current and desired states, as well as actionable steps that can be taken to reach these objectives.

The purpose of using a goals for therapy worksheet is twofold: it helps ensure sessions are focused on specific issues related to the client's overall recovery; and it provides an opportunity for therapists to keep track of progress made during treatment, allowing them to adjust interventions accordingly if needed.When complete, it provides clear guidance while still allowing enough flexibility for individual rooms, so they feel like they have ownership over their healing. Additionally, specific step-by-step instructions for each achievable goal are completed by clients under the facilitation of the therapist, making the process easier to follow.

Also, utilizing this therapy worksheet template can enhance your practice and optimize client outcomes. Having some sort of structure in place when entering into any form of psychotherapy essentially helps both the clients and the therapists stay motivated about the therapeutic process and attain positive results more effectively.

SMART goals for therapy

Setting clear and achievable goals is essential for personal growth and mental health. Using the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) method ensures that goals are well-defined and attainable. Here is an explanation of each component with an example:

• Specific: Goals need to be specific to give clear direction and focus. For example, a specific goal would be to "Reduce symptoms of anxiety by practicing deep breathing exercises for 10 minutes twice daily for the next 3 months."
• Measurable: A measurable goal includes concrete criteria for tracking progress and assessing accomplishment. Measurability is critical for tracking progress. As in the example above, practicing deep breathing exercises for 10 minutes twice daily is a measurable criterion that provides clear parameters.
• Achievable: Goals should be realistic and attainable, considering the resources and constraints. Achievable goals are extremely important for motivation as it is highly demotivating to have an impossible goal. Practicing deep breathing exercises for 10 minutes twice daily is realistic and manageable within a typical daily schedule.
• Relevant: Relevant goals align with broader objectives and ensure the goal is worthwhile. In the example, the big-picture objective is to reduce anxiety symptoms, making the goal of practicing deep breathing exercises highly relevant to achieving better mental health.
• Time-bound: Time-bound goals have a clear timeframe, especially for long-term goals. Having a deadline creates a sense of urgency and helps to prioritize tasks. In our example, "for the next 3 months" is the deadline for reducing anxiety symptoms, and the daily practice of deep breathing exercises keeps it time-bound.

How to use this Therapy Goals Worksheet 

We have designed our templates so that they are intuitive to use, whilst being powerful and detailed. You can also find an example below with all relevant fields completed. Here are a couple of simple steps that you can follow to get yourself started:

Step 1: Download the template

Download the PDF file onto your device first, or open it on the Carepatron app. You can edit it to include your branding or add details that you need. Our template has interactive text fields that you can fill in. Alternatively, you can also print it out, if that is more convenient for your clients or patients.

Step 2: Guide your client

The template is a great tool to use when starting therapy, as it helps set the direction of your treatment. Thus, guide them patiently through each question and make sure they understand it. Provide specific instructions on how to answer them. For instance, you would want your clients to write down specific and achievable steps for their personal goals (e.g., "Practice grounding techniques for 5 minutes twice daily to reduce flashbacks") rather than something general and vague (e.g., "Focus on things around the room"). Include any specific needs and requirements for each goal.

Step 3: Review the worksheet

After you receive the worksheet from your client, read it again with them. Use this opportunity to clarify anything unclear and to revise any goals or steps that are too ambitious, vague, or inappropriate. If done well, this worksheet would be powerful guidance for future therapeutic sessions, and it can help  your clients focus on their growth and success.

Step 4: Store and integrate into therapy

The Therapy Goals Worksheet is part of your client's information, meaning they are part of your client's privacy and should not be shared without their formal consent. Therefore, you would want to document them in a secure place. Moreover, whatever you glean from their goals can be integrated into discussions in future therapy sessions.

Who can use these Therapy Goals Worksheets?

The prompts included in the template are reasonably generic, meaning they can be used by clients who are in therapy for a broad range of reasons. These may include mental disorders like anxiety, depression, addiction/substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Other types of mental health professionals may use this template, for more general issues, including relationship issues, divorce, grief, loss, isolation/loneliness, or financial stress.

Having a clear goal and achievable steps is crucial for more productive and positive sessions. Still, these worksheets are best used by therapists to guide their clients through their goal-setting and planning process. The Therapy Goals Worksheets should mainly be completed by the clients but with the support and guidance of the therapists.

Why is this worksheet useful for therapists

Here's how the worksheet helps therapists in their practice:

Saves time

‍Our worksheet will help you save a lot of time. Rather than having to structure a session around goals and/or design a new questionnaire every time you are treating a new client, you can simply distribute this pre-formatted worksheet. Additionally, because the worksheet can be simply and easily accessed online, you won’t have to worry and printing and storing physical copies of worksheets before they are completed.

Guidance for the therapist

This worksheet provides therapists with guidance for the treatment or consultation of their clients. It is a reference point for the therapist to keep looking back to adjust the direction of counseling if they have deviated from the original goal. If they were to change the goal, it would still be valuable to compare to understand the reason behind the change.

Insight into the client’s needs and active involvement

‍This worksheet is designed to gain insight into each client’s specific therapy goals. Obtaining this information during the early stages of treatment will ensure that the subsequent plan is uniquely tailored to the client’s specific needs, increasing the likelihood of achieving good clinical outcomes. Moreover, the worksheet requires clients to complete it, encouraging the active participation of the clients in the therapeutic journey and helping improve communication. As they make a treatment plan for themselves, the clients would also feel more autonomy and control over their treatment, which are crucial to their success.