EDGC 671

Selecting Goals in the

Counseling Process

Dean W. Owen, Jr. Ph.D

Professor Emeritus

Good counseling practice is NOT rocket science….

You can’t possibly get somewhere if you have no idea where you want to go……….

Owen’s Axiom #427

Try to avoid the error of the knight of old who rushed to his trusty war horse and road off in all directions……..The horse was not amused!

For the purpose of this discussion the terms goals and objectives are used interchangeably. For the purpose of developing treatment plans, the goal is usually considered the desired outcome and is identified in global terms.

Objectives are the small steps that need to be accomplished to meet the ultimate goal.

Goals and objectives of treatment refer to specific behaviors which can be observed objectively and measured. They specify what behavior the client will exhibit at the point at which the problem is termed resolved. 

Observable Not Observable to draw to knowto eat to understandto dust to concentrateto repeat out loud to discoverto select to recognizeto mark to appreciateto crawl to thinkto fold to be aware ofto point to to learnto verbalize to realize fullyto count out loud to be curious

The easiest way to conceive of behavioral objectives is to ask……can I see it?????

Behaviorally or operationally defined objectives contain five major components:

1. A person (client) to exhibit the behavior.

2. A behavior to be exhibited.

3. Conditions under which the behavior will be exhibited.

4. A criterion or level of mastery or performance.

5. The timeframe for the completion of the goal or objective, and for its continued exhibition.

Suggestions for writing attainable counseling objectives.

1. Set an objective that has a high probability of success within a reasonably convenient period of time.

Suggestions for writing attainable counseling objectives.

2. . Set objectives that can be directly observed and graduate objectives into small steps with increasing complexity.

Suggestions for writing attainable counseling objectives.

3. . Determine what is realistic within the constraints of time and ability.

Suggestions for writing attainable counseling objectives.

4. Assess the support systems and resources of the client and take them into account in the formulation of objectives.

Suggestions for writing attainable counseling objectives.

5. Use frequency descriptors to define how often the behavior will occur in a given period of time.

Every time

Once a day

Twice a week

Suggestions for writing attainable counseling objectives.

6. Use duration qualifiers to explain how long a behavior will be demonstrated. 

For at least 10

minutes

For a month

For one hour each day

Suggestions for writing attainable counseling objectives.

7. Intensity measures can be used for subjective data using a Likert scale.

Suggestions for writing attainable counseling objectives.

8. Assess frequently to determine progress or the lack of it.

Suggestions for writing attainable counseling objectives.

9. Keep in mind that objectives refer to client behavior leading toward the achievement of a stated ultimate goal.

Suggestions for writing attainable counseling objectives.

Goals Identification Survey