In therapy, setting goals is essential. With goals, it may be easier to know if you are progressing in your treatment. Goals help personalize your therapy experience and ensure that the guidance and treatment you receive are tailored to your specific needs. Goals also help to keep the therapeutic process on track and ensure that there is progress being made and an end goal in mind. The type of goals set can differ based on each patient’s unique needs, but an overarching strategy is common to every patient.
At CeDAR, our therapists help patients work toward their specific goals while offering compassionate and evidence-based treatment. We specialize in providing personalized services in our addiction therapy programs that cater to each individual’s unique needs. For more information on our unique approach to therapy, don’t hesitate to contact us today at 720.848.3000.
How to Set Goals for Therapy
There are a variety of different approaches to setting goals for patients. Typically, goals are tailored to each individual’s needs and can vary widely. Some goals may be specific, such as reducing anxiety or improving communication skills. In contrast, others may be more general, such as increasing self-esteem or developing a better sense of self.
To set goals for therapy, the provider will first assess the individual’s needs. They will then identify goals that address those needs and work with the individual to create a plan to achieve those goals. The provider will frequently check in with the individual to ensure they are still on track and make any necessary adjustments.
The provider and the individual need to be clear about goals and expectations with each other. This helps ensure everyone is working towards the same objectives and avoids confusion or misunderstandings.
4 Therapy Goals You Should Consider
In therapy, there are four main goals that many treatment providers typically aim for in most cases.
1. Symptom Relief
If you are seeking treatment for a mental or physical illness, one of the main goals is almost always symptom relief. To achieve this goal, your therapist will work with you to develop a treatment plan that targets your specific symptoms. Symptom relief can be very vague, however, as symptoms such as anxiety and depression can take months of conversation, healing, and honesty to heal.
2. Insight
Insight refers to an understanding or realization of something that was not previously known or understood. One of the main goals of therapy is to help individuals reach insight about themselves or the world that they may never have considered outside of therapy. These insights can help to cultivate new behavior patterns that contribute to alleviating the outlined symptoms.
3. Behavior Changes
Behavior changes involve modifying problematic behaviors to improve overall functioning. Changing an individual’s behavior is a prolonged process achieved by gradual talk therapy and cognitive-behavioral sessions. Over time, behavior changes can manifest as individuals gain more insights regarding their mental health patterns.
4. Emotional Growth
Emotional growth entails developing new aspects of the self—such as increased self-awareness, empathy, and compassion—to live a more fulfilling life. These skills are taught in therapy sessions by helping individuals think more critically about their patterns of behavior, emotional states, and potential traumas that have led to an imbalance. Emotional growth is one of the most powerful transformations that can happen in therapy, which is why emotional growth is almost always an overarching goal that therapists strive to help patients achieve.
Find Therapy Options in Colorado at CeDAR
In therapy, goals are critical. They often work together to help people improve their mental baseline and ability to achieve healing while keeping the process of therapy aligned with an overall strategy. It’s important to discuss your goals with your therapist and ensure they are aligned with what you want to achieve. So, don’t be afraid to consistently revisit these goals as therapy progresses and remain open to adjusting them as you progress. With a clear goal in mind, you can work towards making positive changes in your life.
For more information on how a unique and personalized strategy helps improve addiction therapy’s efficacy, contact CeDAR today at 720.848.3000.