Therapy is a powerful vehicle for change. But there's no point in having a vehicle if you don't know your destination. Whatever your theoretical or therapeutic orientation might be, and whichever client population you see, goal setting is almost certainly a part of the work that you do. Yet goal setting is often done haphazardly, without the attention to technique and detail that it deserves. As a result, this primary tool of therapy is weakened and often proves ineffective.
This course is designed to sharpen your technique for maximum impact with the clients you serve. We'll examine:
- The nature of therapeutic goal-setting and behavioural activation - and why they're so important for outcome.
- The client populations that benefit (spoiler alert: almost everyone) and strategies for tailoring goal setting to the needs of different groups (for example, depression versus anxiety disorders).
- Methods of integrating goal setting with the client's stage of change.
- Strategies to help clients identify their own Ultimate Goals - for the therapy, and for their lives.
- Methods of breaking down Ultimate Goals to form Immediate Goals: goals that can be carried out before the next session.
- A series of rules governing effective and achievable Immediate Goals, designed to increase the likelihood of them being carried out.
- The role of the clinician in assisting clients in finding their path forward.
- The optimal timing and structure for goal setting within the therapy session.
Along the way you will receive clear recommendations about the use of 30 specific tips to sharpen your technique and maximize your impact. Each is designed to enhance client change in the only environment that counts: outside your office.
This course provides 5 hours of video content, plus a series of downloadable forms that you can use with your clients to develop goals and monitor progress.
Get CE Credit: Upon completing the course you can submit a brief quiz and a feedback form, and we will provide you with a certificate of completion for 5 CE hours. Changeways Clinic is an approved provider of Continuing Education under the Canadian Psychological Association (see note at the bottom of this page).
- Help clients select their own goals, rather than adopting goals imposed by the therapist.
- Implement strategies to help clients identify and share their Ultimate Goals.
- Describe to clients the important distinction between Ultimate and Immediate Goals.
- Help clients generate Immediate Goals that are realistic and measurable.
- Make use of goal-setting strategies in their own lives, both for their own benefit and to enhance and inform their work with clients.
Reactions
"In all honesty, my frustration as I watched it was 'Why did I not know about these presentations before?'"
"Very practical course - all psychologists would benefit from this."
"I really enjoyed how the instructor focussed on the 'basics' and emphasized that this was the most important! The instructor was also very engaging and I liked how he brought in real-life examples."
"Being a psychologist for over 30 years, there were new methods and information aspects, as well as good review of past learning."
"I thoroughly enjoyed this course. Very practical and engaging. Thank you."
"Love the metaphor of turning cliff faces into stair cases. Really helpful visualization for clients."
"Very engaging instructor. Examples and material that were easy to relate to and relevant for a variety of clients. Relevant to managers of mental health teams. Good strategies for teams to adopt for goal setting."
A Note Regarding CPA Approval: The Canadian Psychological Association's approval of an individual, group, or organization as a CE Sponsor or Provider is restricted to the activities described in the approved application or annual report form. The CPA’s approval does not extend to any other CE activity the Sponsor or Provider might offer. In granting its approval, the CPA assumes no legal or financial obligations to Sponsors, Providers, or to those individuals who might participate in a Sponsor or Provider’s CE activities or programs. Further, responsibility for the content, provision, and delivery of any CE activity approved by the CPA remains that of the CE Sponsor or Provider. The CPA disclaims all legal liability associated with the content, provision, and delivery of the approved CE activity. This program adheres to the ethical standards of the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists.
Your Instructor
Randy Paterson is the Director of Changeways Clinic and author of The Assertiveness Workbook, How to be Miserable: 40 Strategies You Already Use, Private Practice Made Simple, and Your Depression Map. He is also the lead author of the Changeways Core Program, one of the world's most widely used group therapy treatment protocols for depression, and coauthor of The Antidepressant Skills Workbook. He has presented over 300 workshops on psychotherapy for professional mental health providers across Canada and internationally.
Course Curriculum
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PreviewWelcome! (8:08)
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StartNavigating This Platform (5:01)
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StartDOCUMENT: Presentation Slides
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PreviewYOUR TURN: Setting Your Own Goals (6:32)
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StartWhat is Behavioural Activation? (8:36)
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PreviewWhy is Goal Setting Important in Therapy? (4:40)
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StartWhich Client Presentations Can Benefit? (18:33)
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StartTip 1: Recommend a Notebook (7:14)
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StartSpirals and Snowballs (9:00)
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StartTip 2: Start Behavioural Activation Early (7:45)
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StartTip 3: Make the Motivational Model Explicit (6:58)
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StartTip 4: Tailor BA Based on the Client's Stage of Change (14:55)
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StartTip 5: Most of BA is about Giving Up (10:36)
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StartTip 6: In Depression, Ambition is the Enemy (9:31)
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StartTip 7: Distinguish Between Ultimate and Immediate Goals (18:24)
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StartDOCUMENT: Ultimate Goals Sheet
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StartTip 8: Get the Vision from the Client (10:29)
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StartTip 9: Treat Therapy Like a Taxi (12:04)
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StartDOCUMENT: Activity Monitoring Sheet
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StartTip 10: All Problems are Goals in Disguise (6:20)
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StartDOCUMENT: The Problem List
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StartDOCUMENT: Dissatisfiers
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StartTip 11: Brainstorming Unleashes Creativity (15:54)
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StartTip 12: Visit the Eight Realms (11:16)
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StartTip 13: Ask Provocative Questions (15:28)