{"id":338,"date":"2025-07-27T23:09:09","date_gmt":"2025-07-28T06:09:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thegoodtrade.com\/therapy-goals\/"},"modified":"2025-07-27T23:13:05","modified_gmt":"2025-07-28T06:13:05","slug":"therapy-goals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thegoodtrade.com\/features\/therapy-goals\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Set Helpful Goals For Therapy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>When I booked my first session with an online therapist, I only had the intention of \u201cfeeling better.\u201d I didn&#8217;t spend hours poring over reviews of available therapists, or checking to see what my insurance did (and most likely, didn&#8217;t) cover \u2014&nbsp;I googled &#8220;online therapy&#8221; and signed up with one of those podcast-advertising <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegoodtrade.com\/features\/online-therapy\/\">online therapy<\/a> brands. My sudden urge to seek support had come after I found myself crying in my bathroom after a long weekend, dreading the future while also spiraling in shame from the past. I knew I needed a change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I was matched with a therapist within 24 hours and was able to begin messaging her then. And as someone who had never been to therapy at that point, I had <em>no <\/em>idea what to say. My therapist guided me along, going through some brief intros and even sent me a goals worksheet to fill out before our first session. <em>Goals? <\/em>I thought, <em>I didn&#8217;t know I was going to have to make goals for therapy, too.<\/em> I&#8217;d always imagined therapy to be a \u201cshow up, cry to a professional, become happy\u201d kind of deal. Instead, I was getting homework. Wasn\u2019t I paying someone <em>else <\/em>to do that for me? I didn\u2019t understand what therapy goals were, or how important they\u2019d become to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, here&#8217;s a look at how I&#8217;ve set goals for therapy in the past (under the guidance of my own therapists), as well as some tips from experts on how to broach this structure with the mental health professionals you work with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-are-therapy-goals\">What are therapy goals?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>News flash: Your therapist can\u2019t do the work for you, they can only support you along the way. Therapy goals are the intentions we share with our therapist, who helps us create frameworks for measuring our progress and achieving them. (Plus, hello, accountability!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some types of goals for therapy might include:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Developing coping skills for anxiety or overwhelming emotions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reducing the intensity of symptoms related to anxiety and depression<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Increasing self-esteem and reducing negative self-talk<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Improving sleep quality and prioritizing restfulness<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Learning new communication strategies for complex friendships, romantic relationships, or family dynamics<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Processing thoughts and feelings about past trauma<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Exploring parenting questions and challenges<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Navigating a new or existing disability<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Inviting more mindfulness and presence into everyday life<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Changing harmful or unhelpful behaviors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sharpening your decision-making and boundary-setting skills<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Discovering more about who you are, what you want, and where your values lie<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p>But this list isn\u2019t exhaustive! We all have our own challenges that would benefit from a professional\u2019s support, and it\u2019s more than okay if yours aren\u2019t on this list. It\u2019s also okay if you\u2019ve pinpointed multiple goals and are feeling flustered about which one to work on first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTalking with your therapist about being overwhelmed and how to sort out where to start is often a great beginning as you get to know one another,\u201d says <a rel=\"noopener sponsored\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/talkspace.pxf.io\/c\/274622\/1638546\/14729\">Talkspace<\/a> therapist <a rel=\"noopener sponsored\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/talkspace.pxf.io\/c\/274622\/1164659\/14729?subId1=-ps--&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.talkspace.com%2Fblog%2Fauthor%2Fjill-e-daino%2F\">Jill Daino, LCSW-R<\/a>. \u201cThe key to getting started is being straightforward, this is your safe space for your thoughts and feelings.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><br>&#8220;Therapy goals are the intentions we share with our therapist, who helps us create frameworks for measuring our progress and achieving them.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Embracing therapy as a safe place is precisely why goals, or intentions, are so important. This is <em>your space<\/em>, it\u2019s <em>your investment <\/em>\u2014 it\u2019s not a time to meet anyone else\u2019s expectations but your own. I like to think of it this way: Our therapists are the personal trainers who offer meaningful feedback and support while we exercise our goal-setting muscles. If we can practice our goal setting <em>in <\/em>therapy, we may even be better equipped to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegoodtrade.com\/features\/setting-small-goals\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">set goals <em>outside<\/em> of it<\/a>, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-do-you-set-goals-in-therapy\">How do you set goals in therapy?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>So say you\u2019ve got a few ideas from the list above, or have some ideas of your own on what you want to focus on in therapy. How do you actually set them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not every therapist will use the word \u201cgoals,\u201d but it\u2019s common in your first session to let the therapist know what brings you to therapy and which outcomes are important to you. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.collaborative-psychiatry.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Erin Miller<\/a>, a psychotherapist, asks first time clients: &#8220;If therapy &#8216;worked&#8217; for you, what would that look like?&#8221; This helps focus on the optimal outcome of therapy \u2014 which is to journey a little closer to our best selves.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-regular-font-size is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><br>\u201cMeeting with a therapist for a first appointment is like going on a blind date \u2014 not all of them are going to be a good match and that is ok.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<p>\u201cGoal setting can look different depending on a therapist&#8217;s orientation,\u201d Daino reminds us, since there are so many <a href=\"https:\/\/talkspace.pxf.io\/c\/274622\/1164659\/14729?subId1=-ps--&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.talkspace.com%2Fblog%2Fdifferent-types-therapy-psychotherapy-best%2F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored\">different types of therapy available<\/a>. However, if you aren\u2019t feeling like your needs are being heard or properly acknowledged, you may need to find a different therapist. Daino also explains, \u201cmeeting with a therapist for a first appointment is like going on a blind date \u2014 not all of them are going to be a good match and that is ok.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>If you don\u2019t feel like you are setting goals, intentions, or feel like your outcomes are mutually understood, it\u2019s worth exploring how to change the therapist you\u2019re working with. (I\u2019ve found it\u2019s way easier to <a href=\"https:\/\/talkspace.pxf.io\/c\/274622\/1638545\/14729\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored\">change therapists online<\/a> than in person, which is a balm to my anxious mind). I myself have had a few different therapists over the years, two have been with one of the major teletherapy players (who weren&#8217;t bad, although I know folks who have had bad experiences) and the others were in-network through my insurance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The second, and equally important, half to goal setting is knowing how to measure them as you progress. \u201cWhen I work with clients, I like to have them articulate their goals, and we put them in writing together,\u201d says&nbsp; <a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/renewalpsych.com\/\">Dr. Ruth L. Varkovitzky<\/a>, a board-certified clinical psychologist. \u201cWe also try to identify how we would know if things were getting better, and how we want to measure progress.\u201d That means you\u2019re not just in charge of setting the goals but also having conversations about what progress and \u201csuccess\u201d looks like for you.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This progress can be as straightforward as symptom improvement (which can be easier to measure in physical scenarios like fatigue, panic attacks, or sleep patterns). But not all emotional and mental progress is easy to measure, which is why you should create a framework together with your provider. Daino and the professionals at Talkspace encourage us to discuss with our therapists what it means for us to feel more fulfilled, cope with stress effectively, or find a better balance at work or with our partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For me, it\u2019s usually \u2014 am I showering, eating, and staying hydrated? Am I proactively calling friends and family, and am I easefully doing the things I love to do? I can also always tell I\u2019m on the mend from a difficult time by the state of my apartment; the cleaner it is, the clearer my mind and vice versa. (Full transparency, hah, it&#8217;s not very tidy these days but I have a great therapist who is helping me stay on track!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><br>&#8220;Not all emotional and mental progress is easy to measure, which is why you should create a framework together with your provider.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-can-your-therapy-goals-change\">Can your therapy goals change?<\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m several years into therapy, and I speak from experience: <em>let your goals change when they need to.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Miller, she&#8217;s found that clients will frequently come in with one area of focus in mind, only to change it later. \u201cThrough their work, they understand new goals and challenges that would be meaningful to conquer in therapy,&#8221; she says. &#8220;Therapy is a journey, and throughout your work, your goals should be ever-evolving as you grow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This can be the same for your approach, too \u2014 maybe you thought you needed help solving an immediate problem but instead discover that it\u2019s more worthwhile to explore the roots of why you\u2019re experiencing it in the first place. Varkovitzky puts it succinctly and without a twinge of judgment: \u201cSometimes life presents us with situations that change our priorities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:100%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-text-align-right is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">\u201cTherapy isn&#8217;t like taking a class. It has the freedom to expand based on your needs and wants given what is going on in your life.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re feeling stuck on exactly where you need to focus your attention (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegoodtrade.com\/features\/mental-health-check-in\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">like I find myself often<\/a>), sometimes I\u2019ll try to recall what made me sign up for therapy in the first place. Other times, I simply tell my therapist that I think my goals are changing and that I\u2019d like her support in identifying why (or which goals to set next!) These days, I&#8217;m more in a &#8220;help me re-ground myself after a tough week&#8221; mode, so I&#8217;ll outline what acutely is going on to my therapist. Then through my sessions, I find that those pain points actually end up aligning with a deeper theme I&#8217;ve discussed previously in sessions. That&#8217;s a good place to find goals and directions, too! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTherapy isn&#8217;t like taking a class,\u201d Daino explains, because there is no syllabus and no final exam. \u201cIt has the freedom to expand based on your needs and wants given what is going on in your life.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve learned that mental well-being is a process, not a product, but the effort and investment is worth it. I admit, being honest and sharing your goals with someone else feels vulnerable. But the real vulnerability, the real work I think, lies in acknowledging our own need for healing. We deserve to feel fulfilled, and to have a network of friends, families, and professionals, who will uplift us and hold us accountable. And there&#8217;s no shame in working with others to create a road map to get there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking to start therapy? Here are a few tips for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegoodtrade.com\/features\/how-to-find-a-therapist\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">finding a therapist<\/a> and our favorite <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegoodtrade.com\/features\/online-therapy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">online therapy options<\/a>. Additionally, here are our favorite <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegoodtrade.com\/features\/online-couples-therapy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">online couples therapy<\/a> options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegoodtrade.com\/author\/emily-mcgowan\/\"><strong>Emily McGowan<\/strong><\/a><em> is the Editorial Director at The Good Trade. She studied Creative Writing and Business at Indiana University, and has over ten years of experience as a writer and editor in sustainability and lifestyle spaces. Since 2017, she\u2019s been discovering and reviewing the top sustainable home, fashion, beauty, and wellness products so readers can make their most informed decisions. Her editorial work has been recognized by major publications like The New York Times and BBC Worklife. You can usually find her in her colorful Los Angeles apartment journaling, playing with her cat, or crafting. Say hi on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ennaree\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a> or follow along with her Substack, <a href=\"https:\/\/pinkypromise.substack.com\/\">Pinky Promise<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Setting goals in therapy can support us in our everyday growth\u2014here\u2019s how we set realistic and attainable goals to aim for.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":189,"featured_media":63802,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"_enable_custom_container":false,"_custom_container_max_width":"","_is_legacy_styles_disabled":true,"_is_thumbnail_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,7,330,323],"tags":[4,334,428,9,8],"class_list":["post-338","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-self","category-slow-living","category-wellness","tag-self","tag-slow-living","tag-thought-piece","tag-wellness","tag-wellness-featured"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.5 (Yoast SEO v26.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How To Set Helpful Goals For Therapy - The Good Trade<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Setting goals in therapy can support us in our everyday growth\u2014here\u2019s how we set realistic and attainable goals to aim for.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thegoodtrade.com\/features\/therapy-goals\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How To Set Helpful Goals For Therapy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Setting goals in therapy can support us in our everyday growth\u2014here\u2019s how we set realistic and attainable goals to aim for.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.thegoodtrade.com\/features\/therapy-goals\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Good Trade\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thegoodtrade\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-07-28T06:09:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-07-28T06:13:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.thegoodtrade.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/therapy-goals.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Emily McGowan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@thegoodtrade\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@thegoodtrade\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Emily McGowan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.thegoodtrade.com\/features\/therapy-goals\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.thegoodtrade.com\/features\/therapy-goals\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Emily McGowan\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.thegoodtrade.com\/#\/schema\/person\/3981bfaf789a747acc3d6e9d02719b52\"},\"headline\":\"How To Set Helpful Goals For Therapy\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-28T06:09:09+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-07-28T06:13:05+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.thegoodtrade.com\/features\/therapy-goals\/\"},\"wordCount\":1699,\"commentCount\":4,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.thegoodtrade.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.thegoodtrade.com\/features\/therapy-goals\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.thegoodtrade.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/therapy-goals.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"self\",\"slow living\",\"thought pieces\",\"wellness\",\"wellness featured\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Culture\",\"Self\",\"Slow Living\",\"Wellness\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.thegoodtrade.com\/features\/therapy-goals\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2025\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.thegoodtrade.com\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.thegoodtrade.com\/features\/therapy-goals\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.thegoodtrade.com\/features\/therapy-goals\/\",\"name\":\"How To Set Helpful Goals For Therapy - 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