People come to therapy for all sorts of reasons - to talk, explore personal thoughts and because they have issues and problems they need to resolve. A skilled therapist can help you turn these issues and problems into concrete goals you can work to achieve in therapy. These goals then become a part of your treatment plan, with both you and your therapist working together to achieve them. Still, it’s a good idea to come into therapy with some idea of what issues and problems you have, and what goals you’d like to work on with your therapist.
Setting SMART Therapy Goals
Therapy takes time, money, and emotional effort. So, it's natural to want each session to be effective. A great way to maximize your therapy is by setting specific goals. These goals should be part of your treatment plan. It's important that they are SMART goals. SMART stands for:
Specific instead of generalÂ
Measurable so that you know when you’ve reached it
Attainable vs too high or unrealistic
Relevant to the issue or problem you have
Time-bound with a specific end date vs being open-ended or forever
Therapy goals can change over time. It's important to talk regularly with your therapist about what you want to focus on. As you make progress and achieve your initial goals, you might find new ones to work on. Your treatment plan outlines these therapy goals. Think of it as a 'living document' that can be updated or changed anytime. The specific goals you set will depend on the issue you want to resolve in therapy. Here are some common goals people have when seeking therapy.
1. To better understand your emotions and their origins.
No one teaches us about emotions—their meanings, origins, or how to handle them. It's no surprise many struggle. Most people cope with tough emotions in unhealthy ways, such as:
Repressing them
Masking or hiding them
Trying to control them
Avoiding triggers
Ignoring or denying them
Distracting themselves
Zoning out with substances or technology
Projecting onto others
Emotions often become more intense and long-lasting when avoided. Ignoring or repressing feelings can cause them to build up over time, leading to greater emotional struggles. This buildup can worsen mental health. In therapy, you learn to identify, experience, and accept emotions. This process allows you to manage them without letting them interfere with your life.
2. To learn and practice using new, healthier methods of coping.
Another common goal in therapy is finding healthier coping methods for stress and difficult emotions. Learning these new ways can make managing thoughts and feelings easier. When you cope well, you feel more in control, even if difficult emotions arise.
3. Making positive, healthy changes in your behavior or routine.
Therapy can also help you make positive changes in your behavior and routine. Many seek to improve their lifestyle for better physical and mental health. These changes can greatly enhance your sense of satisfaction with life.
Some positive changes people work on include:
Eating better and sleeping more
Being more active and social
Making time for fun and relaxation
Reducing drug or alcohol use
Cutting down on screen time or social media
4. Being more productive or working towards long-term goals.
Another goal might be to become more productive or work towards long-term goals. Anxiety and depression can make it hard to focus and manage time. Therapy can help you improve these skills, reducing stress and boosting confidence.
5. Improving communication of your feelings, wants, and needs.
Stress and tough emotions like sadness, fear, and anger have reasons. They signal that something important is at stake. Therapists help you understand these signals. They teach you to listen to your emotions and find their roots.
Common causes of stress and tough emotions include:
Unhealthy environments or people
Too many demands on your time or energy
Unmet emotional needs
Conflicts with your values
Outgrown relationships or roles
6. Addressing root causes of stress and difficult emotions
Stress and tough emotions often have deep roots. They indicate that something important is at risk. Therapists can help you understand these signals and tackle the underlying issues.
Common root causes are:
Toxic people or environments
Overwhelming demands on your time
Unmet emotional needs
Conflicts with your values
Outgrowing a relationship or situation
7. Learning to take better care of yourselfÂ
Therapy is a great first step to prioritizing yourself. A good therapist will help you care for yourself even more. Often, self-care ends up at the bottom of your to-do list. This neglect can worsen issues like stress, anxiety, and depression.
Here are some ways you might learn to prioritize your emotional needs:
Be kinder to yourself. Practice self-compassion in your thoughts and actions.
Make time for self-care. Engage in activities that restore your happiness.
Stand up for yourself. Learn to ask for what you need.
Take breaks when necessary. Don't wait until you're overwhelmed.
8. Not letting emotions have so much control over your life and choices
Another goal in therapy is to prevent emotions from controlling your life and choices. It may have felt out of your control, but your therapist can teach you ways to manage your emotions. Instead of letting them dominate you, you can learn new coping techniques. Practicing self-care and motivating yourself to do beneficial activities, even when it's hard, can help too. By doing this, you can often regain control over your emotions.
9. Resolving wounds and trauma from the pastÂ
Many people carry the weight of past trauma. This impact lingers in their lives today. In therapy, you can confront these old issues. Working through them allows for a more positive future. If you don't address your past, it can resurface in various ways. Here are some examples of how this happens:
Trust issues in relationships
Fears and insecurities
Self-esteem issues or shame
Negative or destructive patterns of behavior
Defensiveness with others
Avoidance of people, places, and situations
10. Improving your self-esteem
Many people face low self-esteem. It affects how they feel, think, and act. This struggle can prevent them from reaching their goals, building healthy relationships, and doing positive things for themselves. Therapists play a crucial role in this process. They help individuals identify self-esteem issues and work through them. By learning new ways to think and respond to their emotions, people can make better choices. These choices lead to feeling better about themselves, rather than worse.
Setting Goals and Being Proactive
Ultimately, most people aim to be happy, fulfilled, and living their best life. Therapy can be a great place to zoom out from the daily struggles and demands and think about life more broadly, identifying what changes you could make that would leave you feeling happier and more fulfilled. Most people benefit greatly from therapy. Over 75% report improvements after just a few sessions. Many even reach their goals. To make the most of therapy, it's helpful to know what you want to achieve. Setting goals and being proactive about them is key. Work on goals both in and out of sessions.
Starting therapy can feel intimidating - we strive to make it easy. To schedule an appointment or to obtain additional information about our services, accepted forms of insurance or our therapists, please contact us at (630) 426-9719 or fill out the form below. Expect to hear from us same business day (Mon-Sat). If reaching out on a Sunday or holiday, expect to hear back the next business day. We look forward to speaking with you!
Downers Grove Counseling and Wellness PLLC
4910 Main Street
Downers Grove, IL 60515
(630) 426-9719Â