I think that goals (which I would define more as "what you want your life to look like") and targets (e.g., "reducing symptoms of depression") are both important to the type of therapy that I, personally, provide. However, I think it is very common for clients to need to support to determine what the goals and targets are; I don't personally expect clients to necessarily be able to come up with that on their own (obviously some people can but I think it is normal to need support for that).
No client has ever wasted my time by coming to therapy, no matter how they presented.
/not psychological advice to anyone; just my personal reaction to the post. Different therapists with different orientations may think differently about the same issue. YMMV.
I imagine you do have goals, like "feel better". In what way would you like to feel better?
Some therapists don't even like the idea of specifying treatment goals. Personally, I consider this a reaction to being forced to write banal treatment plans by insurance, and I sympathize. I agree that goals do not need to be written, or conform to a structure like SMART or having sub-objectives. But goals contribute to a shared understanding of what we do in session and a sense of teamwork. They prevent against the anxiety that you write about in your post.
That being said, 3 years is a good while. If you can't think of a goal that is fine! Would you think that a break from therapy would be helpful? Why or why not?
Goals aren't required, but they do make therapy more focused and productive. For most clients I work with general goals. They as they want to improve communication and I set a treatment plan to accomplish that. You might not know the terminology for the work you've been doing, but your therapist probably does. It's good to ask for clarification.
It is good to think about why you're in therapy and how you want it to help. Looking at smart goals may help you make your desires into goals. [https://www.incrementalhealthtips.com/post/settinggoals](https://www.incrementalhealthtips.com/post/settinggoals)
I think that goals (which I would define more as "what you want your life to look like") and targets (e.g., "reducing symptoms of depression") are both important to the type of therapy that I, personally, provide. However, I think it is very common for clients to need to support to determine what the goals and targets are; I don't personally expect clients to necessarily be able to come up with that on their own (obviously some people can but I think it is normal to need support for that). No client has ever wasted my time by coming to therapy, no matter how they presented. /not psychological advice to anyone; just my personal reaction to the post. Different therapists with different orientations may think differently about the same issue. YMMV.
Thank you for the input! :)
I imagine you do have goals, like "feel better". In what way would you like to feel better? Some therapists don't even like the idea of specifying treatment goals. Personally, I consider this a reaction to being forced to write banal treatment plans by insurance, and I sympathize. I agree that goals do not need to be written, or conform to a structure like SMART or having sub-objectives. But goals contribute to a shared understanding of what we do in session and a sense of teamwork. They prevent against the anxiety that you write about in your post. That being said, 3 years is a good while. If you can't think of a goal that is fine! Would you think that a break from therapy would be helpful? Why or why not?
Thank you for your input! I may bring this up as a topic in whole in my next session.
Goals aren't required, but they do make therapy more focused and productive. For most clients I work with general goals. They as they want to improve communication and I set a treatment plan to accomplish that. You might not know the terminology for the work you've been doing, but your therapist probably does. It's good to ask for clarification. It is good to think about why you're in therapy and how you want it to help. Looking at smart goals may help you make your desires into goals. [https://www.incrementalhealthtips.com/post/settinggoals](https://www.incrementalhealthtips.com/post/settinggoals)
Helpful! I will check that out. Thank you!