Here’s some unsurprising news:
If you want to achieve your goals you must set specific, measurable, and time-targeted objectives, at least according to goal-setting theory, an important area of study in organizational psychology (and Wikipedia).
Psychotherapy is one of the disciplines that can help people set specific, measurable and time-targeted goals and objectives—at least, it usually is. In interviewing numerous former and current therapy patients my colleagues and I found that a significant percentage reported that goal setting was not mentioned during therapy. Of course, this is not a scientific study, just anecdotal evidence, but I mention it because the results are surprising. After all, rating positive change can be awfully subjective if goals aren’t set and able to be measured. And of course, if change doesn’t happen in a reasonable time-frame, then who’s to say the change wouldn’t have happened without a specific psychotherapeutic intervention?
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Brenda
10:12 pm on
January 12th, 2010First of all welcome to the psych central blog lineup…reading all of these wonderful blogs are apart of my daily routine and I look forward to hearing more from you! Second of all I agree wholeheartedly with this post. I know way too many people who have been in therapy for over a decade. I wish I had all of that money to spend! I know a good course of therapy is an investment but…still twelve, thirteen, fourteen even twenty years? I think it’s a little over the top and unnecessary. After how many years do you have to sit back and evaluate whether this therapy is helping and maybe it’s time to switch therapists? I know the reason for not seeking out a new therapist is transference…but still it’s time to think in our own best interest.
If one has been in therapy for that long it sounds like dependence is a big factor and being that dependent on your therapist really can cripple a person from really functioning on their own in the real world. Their is no argument that life is tough…but when leaving your therapist becomes tougher then the problems you had that landed you into therapy in the first time…it’s time to really reevaluate your situation.
I think an evolving has occurred during the time I have been in therapy. Feeling supported during this time has helped shape that evolving to be more effective in me reaching more of my personal goals of self expression. Through therapy I have learned to be more comfortable in my own skin partly because I had assistance in exploring my individuality in a deep and meaningful way.I have been able to process experiences through the neutral perspective a therapist gives.Therapy gives space and tools to self explore in a way I would not have done on my own.
Nancy
9:37 am on
January 13th, 2010Hi, The first to comment? Wow! I’ve been in psychotherapy for about 4 years now since being diagnosed with severe clinical depression resulting from a TBI that occured while my brother was “showing off” for me with his car. Anyway, at this point, I feel that my therapist is not right for me. He keeps shoving me toward careers…I’m not interested in a “career” at this point in my life (54 yrs)I just want to feel normal. I was a stay at home mom for 3, now adult, children and loved it. I have lost many talents I had to the TBI. I also have arthritis. Fill the void, for me, is not necessarily filling it with employment. I’m just not there…What do you do when you feel it’s time to stop or change therapist? Do I still need one?
TPG
9:46 am on
January 13th, 2010Congrats on your new blog. It’s a fascinating arena.
Where does one make suggestions for potential subject areas for you to address?
Re this one: I think it’s a useful exercise for, every few months, therapist and patient to write down before a session what they consider to be the goals of the therapy — just a few short bullet points — and then swap pieces of paper and read them aloud. If the goals don’t match up? T-R-O-U-B-L-E. If they do match up? A-L-L-I-A-N-C-E!
Welcome Richard to the Psychcentral blog world. Looking forward to your posts and calaboration. Take care, Laura
x
11:03 pm on
January 13th, 2010has got me thimking…
Thanks for that! I had therapy in the 80s, when people used to sneer “that’s so goal-oriented”. Has there been a quiet revolution?
Richard Zwolinksi, LMHC, CASAC
11:31 am on
January 14th, 2010Thank you all for your comments. There is room for different opinions about the therapy process. For a variety of reasons my own preference is for goal-oriented therapy though a somewhat less goal-oriented approach might be helpful for some. As this blog continues I hope to address my reasons for believing in setting goals and objectives in therapy (most therapists do support this), and to discuss the therapy tools needed as well as other issues.
TPG-you’ve got the right idea, what you propose is generally an integral part of a therapy tool called the treatment plan.
As for when it’s time to move on, Nancy, might I suggest you discuss this directly with your therapist?
This is a very career-oriented culture, but a career is not necessarily the right choice for everyone–family, community, spirituality, volunteer work, etc. might be more of a main focus. I suggest you ask your therapist the reasons for his suggestions that you pursue a career-his reasons might make sense to you once you hear them–and he might believe a career can offer you therapeutic value unavailable in other life areas.
If you still feel this therapist isn’t the right choice for you, it’s okay to share that you feel this way with your therapist! Together you can address this, for example, you and he might amend or craft a new treatment plan that better meets your needs or you might agree it is time to move on. Either way, it is important to discuss what you are thinking and feeling about the therapy process itself with your therapist. Your feedback helps your therapist to help you.
Brenda-your points are well-taken.
Richmonde-not sure it’s so quiet. 
TPG
6:17 pm on
January 14th, 2010I proposed to my therapist and then did the swap-the-goals-of-therapy sheets of paper thing; we did it right there in the room.
I could see therapist clutching a little when I made the suggestion, but finally therapist was game to do it. I am sure therapist was afraid of divergence, rupture, and all that might ensue.
I was clutching when I wrote down my goals. What if they didn’t match up with my therapist’s view of it? Divergence, rupture, and all that might ensue.
Pleasant shocker: my view of my goals, and therapist’s view of my goals, were exactly the same.
It turned out to be one of the most powerful moments in the room, ever.
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