Working with Goals in Psychotherapy and Counselling

Recent evidence has shown that the successful setting of goals brings about positive outcomes in psychological therapy. Goals help to focus and direct clients' and therapists' attention in therapeutic work. They also engender hope and help energise clients. No longer are clients victims of their circumstances, but through goal setting they become people who have the potential to act towards and achieve their desired futures. Through the discussing and setting of goals, clients develop a deeper insight into what it is that they really want in life: a crucial first step towards being able to get there.

Recent policies in both child and adult mental health services have supported the use of goals in therapy. However, the differing cultures, histories, psychologies, and philosophical assumptions of each form of therapy has brought about varying attitudes and approaches to goal setting.

Working with Goals in Counselling and Psychotherapy brings the attitudes of all the major therapeutic orientations together in one volume. With examples from cognitive behaviour therapy, psychodynamic therapy, humanistic therapy, interpersonal therapy, and systemic therapy Working with Goals in Counselling and Psychotherapy truly is the definitive guide for therapists seeking to work with goals in any of the psychological therapies.

Mick Cooper is Professor of Counselling Psychology at the University of Roehampton, where he is Director of the Centre for Research in Social and psychological Transformation (CREST). Mick is a chartered psychologist, a UKCP-registered psychotherapist, and a Fellow of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). Mick is author and editor of a range of texts on person-centred, existential, and relational approaches to therapy; including Working at Relational Depth in Counselling and Psychotherapy (Sage, 2005, with Dave Mearns), Pluralistic Counselling and Psychotherapy (Sage, 2011, with John McLeod), and Existential Therapies (2nd ed., Sage, 2017). Mick has led a series of research studies exploring the processes and outcomes of humanistic counselling with young people. Mick is the father of four children and lives in Brighton, on the south coast of England.
Duncan Law is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist with over 20 years experience working across the NHS, Local Authority and third sectors. Consultant Clinical Associate at the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families and previously Clinical Lead for Children and Young Peoples Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (CYP IAPT) for the London and South East. Honorary Senior Lecturer at University College London and Royal Holloway University of London, a board member of ACAMH, MAC-UK, CORC, & Director of MindMonkey Associates. Former Chair of the British Psychological Society's Division of Clinical Psychology's Faculty for Children, Young People and their Families and was Clinical Lead in Hertfordshire CAMHS.

1. Introduction, Duncan Law and Mick Cooper
2. Philosophical, conceptual and ethical perspectives on working with goals in therapy, John McLeod and Thomas Mackrill
3. The Psychology of Goals: A Practice-Friendly Review, Mick Cooper
4. Using Goals in Therapy: The Perspective of People with Lived Experience, Amy Feltham, Kate Martin, Leanne Walker, and Lydia Harris
5. Goals and Psychotherapy Research, Georgiana Shick Tryon
6. Measuring Outcomes Using Goals, Jenna Jacob, Julian Edbrooke-Childs, Christopher Lloyd, Daniel Hayes, Isabelle Whelan, Miranda Wolpert, and Duncan Law
7. From Problems to Goals: Identifying 'Good' Goals in Psychotherapy and Counselling, Windy Dryden
8. Goal-oriented Practice, Duncan Law
9. Goal-oriented Practice Across Therapies, Nick Grey, Suzanne Byrne, Tracey Taylor, Avi Shmueli, Cathy Troupp, Peter Stratton, Aaron Sefi, Roslyn Law, and Mick Cooper
10. Conclusion, Duncan Law and Mick Cooper
Goal-based Outcome Measures for both Children and Adults