Setting Goals in Counselling: What Can You Work On?
If you're thinking about starting counselling, you might be wondering what to expect from the process.
The early counselling relationship is often focused on gathering information, so your therapist can learn more about you, your life, and what brought you to counselling.
A key part of this process is clarifying your goals:
What do you want to work on in therapy?
What changes would you like to see?
What would you like to be different in your life?
There’s a wide range of goals people can work on in counselling.
From creating a safe space to explore their emotions, to improving their self-talk, to learning specific skills.
What’s important is that the client and counsellor have a shared sense of what they’re working toward.
In this article, I’ll explore why setting goals matters in therapy and give examples of some common goals for counselling.
Why is Goal-Setting Important in Counselling?
When you start counselling, you and your therapist will work together to identify the issues you’d like to focus on. This process often involves discussing your symptoms, your history, and your current circumstances.
Beyond that initial exploration, it's helpful to have a clear idea of what you want from therapy. That's where goal-setting comes in.
By setting goals, you and your therapist can:
Ensure that you're both working toward the same outcomes
Decide on what topics, strategies, or tasks will be most helpful
Track your progress over time
Evaluate whether the therapy is effective and make changes when needed
Without clear goals, you and your therapist could be working in different directions. For example, your therapist could be focused on exploring your past experiences, while you’re hoping for concrete strategies to handle difficult emotions now.
Goals help to make sure that what you discuss or work on each session is actually relevant to you.
Without goals, it’s hard to assess whether you’re getting what you need from therapy. How will you know when you’re making progress? What signs or changes will tell you when you’re on the right path?
Setting goals provides a framework for the work you do with your therapist, giving you both a sense of direction and milestones to consider along the way.
What Kinds of Goals Can You Work on in Counselling?
Goals in counselling can vary widely depending on the person, the therapist, and the therapist’s approach. However, some common goals that people can work on include:
Getting to know themselves better
Many people come to counselling because they feel disconnected from themselves or unsure of who they are. Counselling can provide a space to explore your thoughts, feelings, needs, and behaviours, and gain a deeper understanding of what makes you tick.
Improving communication
Communication is a cornerstone of healthy relationships, but it can be difficult to do well. In counselling, you might work on improving your communication skills, such as active listening, assertiveness, or conflict resolution.
Learning new coping strategies
Life can be stressful, and sometimes we need new tools to manage difficult situations. In counselling, you might learn strategies for coping with anxiety, depression, or other challenges, such as mindfulness, grounding techniques, or self-soothing skills.
Learning specific skills
Your therapist can also support you in learning new skills to help you address specific challenges in your everyday life, like how to set boundaries, make decisions, and solve problems effectively.
Making sense of past experiences
Sometimes the past can weigh heavily on the present. Counselling can provide a safe and supportive environment to explore past traumas, losses, or other experiences, and work through the emotions that may still be affecting you.
Exploring identities
In counselling, you can explore your sense of who you are, including understanding your unique interests, preferences, and values; exploring your sense of belonging within wider social groups (e.g., families, friends, communities); or considering experiences related to gender, sexuality, ethnicity, race, or religion.
Clarifying beliefs and values
Having a clear sense of your values and beliefs can help guide your decisions. In counselling, you might explore your personal values to clarify what really matters to you. You can also reflect on how to live out these values in your day-to-day life.
Identifying strengths
Sometimes it can be difficult to see our own strengths and talents. Your counsellor can help you work on identifying your unique qualities and abilities, and how to use them to achieve your goals.
Breaking out of unhelpful patterns
We all have habits or patterns of behaviour that we know are unhelpful, but have trouble leaving behind. For example, you might notice yourself prioritizing other people’s needs above your own. In counselling, you can work on identifying unhelpful patterns and developing new ways of responding that better serve your needs.
Changing behaviours
Finally, counselling can be a space to work on specific behaviour changes, such as increasing your physical activity, reducing substance use, or improving your sleep habits. Your therapist can help you set realistic and achievable goals, and provide support and accountability as you work toward them.
How Do You Identify Goals in Counselling?
Identifying goals in counselling is a collaborative process between you and your therapist. In the first session, your therapist will likely ask questions to help you explore what you hope to gain from counselling.
They may ask about your current challenges, your past experiences, and your values and beliefs. They may also ask about your strengths and resources, as well as any potential barriers or challenges that might arise during therapy.
Based on this information, you and your therapist can identify goals that are meaningful, achievable, and relevant to your life. Your therapist could suggest specific goals based on their expertise, or you may already have some goals in mind.
These goals can change over time as your circumstances or priorities shift. What’s important to you at the beginning of therapy may not be as relevant later on. That's why it's helpful to revisit your goals regularly, to make sure that you and your therapist are still working toward outcomes that are meaningful to you.
Final Thoughts
Setting goals is a key part of the counselling process. By identifying goals at the start of therapy, you and your therapist can ensure that you're both on the same page about what you want to achieve and track your progress over time.
Goals can be wide-ranging and may include getting to know yourself better, improving communication, learning new skills, making sense of past experiences, exploring new identities, clarifying beliefs and values, identifying strengths, breaking out of unhelpful patterns, and changing behaviours.
If you're not sure what you want to work on in counselling, that's okay - clarifying goals is something your therapist can support you with.
Ultimately, the goal of counselling is to help you achieve a greater sense of well-being and fulfilment in your life, whatever that looks like for you.
Registered Psychologist in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Are you interested in starting counselling? Navigation Psychology offers in-person counselling in Saskatoon and virtual services across the province of Saskatchewan. We support clients dealing with a variety of concerns, including anxiety, perfectionism, depression, trauma, and relationship issues. Get started by booking a free 20-minute consultation call.
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