Many journeys into personal transformation and mental well-being start with a simple, yet powerful tool: setting SMART goals. In therapy, these carefully crafted goals act as structured, clear action plans guiding you toward meaningful change. Whether you’re new to therapy or looking to refresh your approach, understanding the concept of SMART goals can dramatically change how you perceive and achieve personal growth.
If you’ve ever wondered what SMART goals are and how they can be used in therapy settings, you’re in for a treat. Grow Therapy is here to empower you with the knowledge to create your own SMART goals, tailored to your unique experience in mental health. Let’s explore how SMART goals can kickstart your personal and therapeutic growth.
The S-M-A-R-T Approach to Therapy
When it comes to personal goal setting, SMART is the gold standard, helping people to achieve progress and clarity in every aspect of life. The acronym ‘SMART’ is more than just a catchy phrase, and serves as a formula for creating objectives that are clear, achievable, inspiring, and relevant. Isn’t that what we all hope for when we set realistic goals?
Let’s break it down to the baseline of SMART goals:
Specific
A SMART goal does not deal with vagueness. It’s clear and precise, answering the what, why, and how of your objective. For instance, instead of saying “I want to be happier,” a specific goal would be, “I want to practice mindfulness for 10 minutes every day to improve my mental wellbeing.”
Measurable
How will you know you’ve reached your goal? By making it measurable. This aspect involves quantifying your progress, like deciding to attend three therapy sessions a month or reading one book on personal development every two weeks.
Achievable
While ambition is key, your goals should also be realistic and attainable. This means setting goals that challenge you but are still within your reach, considering your current situation and resources.
Relevant
Your goals should align with your larger life values and long-term objectives. A relevant goal for someone in therapy might be developing better communication skills, and contributing to healthier relationships.
Time-Bound
A deadline adds a sense of urgency and helps you focus. Whether it’s short-term, like a week, a month, or more like a year, providing yourself with enough time and setting a time frame keeps you accountable and motivated.
In therapy, SMART goals are a powerful planning tool to help guide you toward personal fulfillment and goal achievement. They transform the intangible into tangible, making the journey of self-improvement both manageable and rewarding.
Therapy and SMART Goals
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) often stands out for its structured, goal-oriented approach, making it a natural fit for integrating SMART goals. CBT, at its core, is about identifying and changing negative thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to emotional distress.
Steven Band, LPC, a Grow Therapy provider states, “SMART goals to give us focus on what we want to accomplish. I let the client identify the goals that are important for them and I’ll help them to word it to meet the smart guidelines.”
The specificity of SMART goals aligns perfectly with CBT’s focus on addressing specific problems. For example, a client dealing with anxiety might set a goal like, “When I feel anxious at work, I will use deep breathing techniques for five minutes to calm my mind.” This goal is specific (deep breathing at work), measurable (five minutes), achievable (a realistic technique), relevant (directly addressing anxiety), and time-bound (done when anxiety is felt).
Measurability is key in CBT, as it allows both the therapist and the client to track progress. A goal like “reduce my negative thoughts” is made measurable by quantifying it, such as, “I will record instances of negative thoughts daily and aim to reduce them by 50% in four weeks.”
The achievable aspect of SMART goals ensures that the goals set in CBT are realistic and within the client’s ability to attain them. This is crucial in maintaining motivation and preventing feelings of discouragement, which can be a barrier to mental health treatment.
SMART goals to give us focus on what we want to accomplish. I let the client identify the goals that are important for them and I’ll help them to word it to meet the smart guidelines.
- Steven Band, LPC
Relevance is particularly important in CBT, as goals need to directly contribute to the client’s overall mental health and well-being. Goals that are aligned with the individual’s values and long-term aspirations are more likely to be pursued and achieved.
Lastly, setting time-bound goals in CBT helps in creating urgency and a sense of accomplishment as milestones are reached. It also allows for periodic evaluation of the therapy’s effectiveness and any necessary adjustments to the treatment plan. Remember, setting time frames for your long-term goals is also important.
How SMART Goals Support Rehabilitation
In rehabilitation environments, the implementation of SMART goals is often recommended by therapists because it offers a structured path to recovery. Band claims, “People with addiction problems need firm boundaries and leave no room for confusion.”
Rehabilitation, inherently complex, requires coordinated actions from a multidisciplinary team, making the setting of specific, clear, and personalized goals crucial. The SMART framework provides a standardized and effective method for crafting these goals.
Here’s how:
Goals in rehab need to be specific, addressing the individual’s unique needs and defining clear objectives, like improving walking ability to a measurable extent. They should also be measurable, allowing both patients and healthcare providers to track progress and make necessary adjustments. Achievability is essential – goals must be challenging yet within the individual’s capabilities, considering their current state.
These goals must also be relevant to the patient’s long-term well-being and recovery, and time-bound, with clear deadlines to maintain motivation and focus. According to research on SMART goal setting in rehabilitation, this approach standardizes and simplifies the goal-setting process. It ensures goals are specific enough to be measurable and actionable, involving a method that builds each goal using components like the target activity, required support, performance quantification, and a time frame for achieving the desired outcome. This structured approach underscores the importance of well-formulated goals in the rehabilitation journey, enhancing both the process and outcomes of recovery.
How to Set SMART Goals with Your Therapist
Deciding what to talk about in therapy can be a challenge sometimes, so if you’re at a loss for therapy topics, setting SMART goals can be a fantastic way to use your valuable time with your therapist wisely.
Setting SMART goals with your therapist is a collaborative practice, one that blends professional guidance with your insights and preferences. The key to successful goal creation lies in a trust-based therapeutic relationship, where your preferences are respected and your voice is heard.
Building trust is foundational. It provides a safe space where you can openly discuss your aspirations, struggles, and reflections. Therapists often employ motivational interviewing techniques to facilitate this process. This involves using open-ended questions, reflective statements, and summarizing key points to deepen understanding and encourage exploration of your thoughts and feelings.
Listening for cues, such as excitement about a topic or comments about current struggles, is vital. These cues provide valuable insights into what matters most to you and can be pivotal in shaping your goals. For instance, your enthusiasm about a new hobby or concern about a recurring stressor can be the starting point for setting relevant and meaningful goals.
When discussing goals, person-centered language is crucial. This means focusing on what you, as the individual, want to achieve, rather than what is generally expected or prescribed. Using phrases like “I would like to” or “I want to” instead of “I should” or “I will” makes the goal-setting process more about your aspirations and less about external expectations.
Gathering information from initial assessments or discussions can prompt goal setting. For example, your therapist might use insights from a health risk assessment to suggest potential goals. It’s important to break down broad or vague aspirations into specific, attainable objectives. This process involves crafting goals that express your desires while also being realistic and measurable.
Encouraging measurable goals that positively impact your health and quality of life is another key aspect. These goals should promote self-advocacy and self-realization, empowering you to discover and harness your ‘can do’ attitude. Remember, you are your best advocate in your mental health journey.
Identifying and addressing barriers is another crucial step in this process. Discussing potential challenges and devising strategies to overcome them ensures that your goals are not only aspirational but also achievable goals. This could involve modifying certain aspects of your lifestyle or seeking additional support where needed.
Avoiding clinical language and jargon makes the conversation more accessible and relatable. Instead of using abbreviations or technical terms, simple and clear language helps in understanding and aligning the goals more effectively.
Setting SMART goals with your therapist and health professionals is a dynamic and personalized process where you and your therapist can set goals that are not only SMART in their structure but also deeply resonant with your journey toward mental well-being.
