Working with Goals in Psychotherapy and Counselling

Working with Goals in Psychotherapy and Counselling

Edited by:
Mick Cooper
Mick CooperProfessor of Counselling Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Roehampton , UKClose

and
Duncan Law
Duncan LawConsultant Clinical Psychologist, Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, UKClose

Abstract

Working with goals in counselling and psychotherapy provides a detailed guide to using goals in clinical practice, and the empirical and theoretical foundations for this work. The book is aimed at psychologists, psychotherapists, and counsellors of all orientations—both in training and in practice—who work with adults and/or with children and young people. The introduction to the book defines goals, looks at their development, and discusses the rationale for, and challenges of, goal-oriented practice. Chapter 2 explores philosophical perspectives on goals, critically examining the relevance of these ideas to therapeutic practice. Chapter 3 extends this by looking at the psychological evidence on goals and goal-setting, examining its relationship to emotions and wellbeing, and the dimensions along which goals can vary. The following chapter, written by service users, presents their perspective on working with goals: why they may find it helpful, what they want from it, and what they see as the challenges. Chapter 5 reviews the evidence on goal consensus and therapeutic outcomes; and this is followed by a review of the different measures that can be used for goal monitoring and feedback (Chapter 6). Chapters 7 and 8 focus specifically on clinical practice: identifying effective strategies for goal-setting; and for working with goals across the therapeutic encounter. Goal-oriented practices are then considered in relation to the principle therapeutic orientations (Chapter 9). The book concludes with the analogy of therapy as a ‘journey of discovery’ (Chapter 10), with the client’s individual goals setting the direction for travel.

Keywords: goals, goal setting, goal-oriented practice, goal monitoring, treatment outcomes, counselling, psychotherapy, client treatment matching, therapeutic alliance, shared decision making

Bibliographic Information

Publisher:: Oxford University Press

Print Publication Date:: Jan 2018

Print ISBN-13:: 9780198793687

Published online:: Mar 2018

DOI:: 10.1093/med-psych/9780198793687.001.0001

Authors

Mick Cooper, editor Professor of Counselling Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Roehampton , UK

Duncan Law, editor Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, UK

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Front Matter
- List of contributors
Chapter 1 IntroductionMick Cooper and Duncan Law
Chapter 2 Philosophical, conceptual, and ethical perspectives on working with goals in therapyJohn McLeod and Thomas Mackrill
Chapter 3 The psychology of goals: A practice-friendly reviewMick Cooper
Chapter 4 Using goals in therapy: The perspective of people with lived experienceAmy Feltham, Kate Martin, Leanne Walker, and Lydia Harris
Chapter 5 Goals and psychotherapy researchGeorgiana Shick Tryon
Chapter 6 Measuring outcomes using goalsJenna Jacob, Julian Edbrooke-Childs, Christopher Lloyd, Daniel Hayes, Isabelle Whelan, Miranda Wolpert, and Duncan Law
Chapter 7 From problems to goals: Identifying ‘good’ goals in psychotherapy and counsellingWindy Dryden
Chapter 8 Goal-oriented practiceDuncan Law
Chapter 9 Goal-oriented practice across therapiesNick Grey, Suzanne Byrne, Tracey Taylor, Avi Shmueli, Cathy Troupp, Peter Stratton, Aaron Sefi, Roslyn Law, and Mick Cooper
Chapter 10 ConclusionDuncan Law and Mick Cooper
End Matter
- Index

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date: 30 June 2022

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Working with Goals in Psychotherapy and Counselling

Edited by:
Mick Cooper
Mick CooperProfessor of Counselling Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Roehampton , UKClose

and
Duncan Law
Duncan LawConsultant Clinical Psychologist, Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, UKClose

Abstract

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Working with Goals in Psychotherapy and Counselling

Edited by: Mick Cooper Mick CooperProfessor of Counselling Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Roehampton , UKClose and Duncan Law Duncan LawConsultant Clinical Psychologist, Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, UKClose

Abstract

Bibliographic Information

Authors

Share Link

Contents

Edited by:
Mick Cooper
Mick CooperProfessor of Counselling Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Roehampton , UKClose

and
Duncan Law
Duncan LawConsultant Clinical Psychologist, Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, UKClose