Goal Setting for Behavior Change

AllCEUs.com Unlimited CEUs $59 | Specialty Certificates $89 | Live Webinars $5

Goal SettingDr. Dawn-Elise Snipes PhD, LPC-MHSP, LMHC, NCC

Executive Director, AllCEUs


Objectives Identify the purpose of setting goals Learn about SMART goals and how to set

them Explore ways to help clients identify their

goals Learn how to help clients increase and

maintain motivation Identify the 6 most common pitfalls in goal

setting, and how to prevent them


Why Do I Care Goal setting is an integral part of treatment Goal setting is something everyone does

every day Ineffective goals can have a negative impact

on self esteem Ineffective goals can make people

mistakenly think they are helpless to change anything.

SpecificMeasurableAchievableRealistic Time Limited

Think about the last goal you set that was successful…Think about the last goal you set that was unsuccessful.What is the difference between the two?

SMART?Motivation?

SMART Goals

Goals (WHY) Goals are the overarching reason a person begins to

do something. Often goals are broad and abstract. “I want to be

healthier.” “I want to be happy.” Goals need to be broken down into manageable,

meaningful, observable objectives. Phrase goals as adding a positive instead of

removing a negative.

Goals—The Beginning

One way to elicit goals is through the miracle question: If you woke up tomorrow and you were _____ (i.e.

your problem was resolved/goal was achieved) what would be different?

This gives you insight into the foundations of this particular persons symptoms/definition of the problem.

Miracle Question


Specific Overall Goal for Treatment

What is the problem?Example: Depression

How will you know when the problem is resolved? Emotionally, I won’t feel as hopeless and helpless.

I wont dread getting out of bed.Mentally, I won’t be so foggy headed and will be

able to concentratePhysically, I will have more energy and lose some

weightSocially, I will enjoy spending time with friends


Specific Subgoals

Main IssueLearn about the overall problem (Depression)Learn about your symptoms/causes/triggers of the problemIdentify ways to address your specific

symptoms/causes/triggers I won’t dread getting out of bed each day

Reframed– I will be happy to wake up and face the dayIdentify causes of dread for you and interventions

I will have more energyLearn about causes of fatigue and low energyIdentify potential causes of your fatigue and low energy

Copyright 2008-2012 AllCEUs, a subsidiary of CDS Ventures, LLC

Measurable Frequency (#/time)

Number of times per day or week i.e. Number of crying episodes i.e. Number of eating episodes NOT due to hunger i.e. Number of glasses of water consumed/day i.e. Number of wake-ups during the night

Duration (How long) Sleep Exercise Crying episodes

Intensity Likert (1-mild; 2-moderate; 3-intense; 4-excruciating) Number of calories per binge


Measurable Main Issue: Depression

Likert scale 1-can’t go on, 2-okay, 3-pretty good, 4-Awesome

I won’t dread getting out of bed each day –Cause of dread--Job Likert scale 1-can’t go on, 2-okay, 3-pretty good, 4-

Awesome I will have more energy—Cause of low energy– poor

sleep Record hours slept; number of awakenings; quality of

sleep

Write each of the following “goals” on a piece of paper: Lose weight Get in shape Feel better about myself Be happier

Identify at least 2 ways for each goal that tells the person he or she has achieved that goal. “How will you know when you are/have _____”

How would you measure each of those?

Activity: Observable and Measurable


Achievable, Realistic, Time-Limited Rome was not built in a day Built on prior strengths and individualized Something the client is motivated to change Weekly goals; Daily goals (IOP); Hourly goals

(crisis)

Who is responsible for doing What, When, Where, Why and How

This is your client's action plan or map Who (your client) What are they responsible for doing, when and

where Why are they doing it How is it helping them meet their ultimate goal

The Hook, A.K.A. The 5 Ws


Example Main Issue (8/1/2016-9/5/2016)

Sally will learn about the overall problem (Depression) by reading one chapter of XYZ Book and the handouts provided by Dr. Snipes each week for 5 weeks.

Sally will learn about her symptoms/causes/triggers of the problem by taking notes on what sounds like her as she reads the book and handouts about depression. She will process those notes in counseling with Dr. Snipes each week.

Sally will identify ways to address her specific symptoms/causes/triggers by completing the My Symptoms and My Triggers worksheets provided by Dr. Snipes

Each morning and evening, Sally will rate, on a scale from 1-4 her happiness and explain her response. These logs will be discussed with Dr. Snipes each session.


Learning Goal setting means changing a behavior Change usually involves learning something Part of the learning process involves improving

motivation Effective change means presenting the information in a

form in which the person most easily learns.


Learning 3 parts to the learning process:

CognitionHow people acquire knowledge: Seeing, hearing or doing

ConceptualizationHow people process information: Abstract, specific, memory

pathways Affective

People’s motivation, decision-making styles, values and emotional preferences: How much does this information matter


Learning Styles and Goal Setting Active/Reflective

When you process information Auditory/hearing, visual/seeing, or kinesthetic/doing

Methods for receiving information Factual or Emotional

How you conceptualize information Sensing vs. Intuitive

What you pay attention to Global vs. Specific

Parts to whole or vice versa


Problem Selection: Motivation Changeable Variable Components

Emotional– I want to Cognitive/Intellectual– I need to Social Physical Situational


Motivational Exercise Decisional Balance

Completed on each unique behavior and repeated often Can be useful in addressing “resistance”

To Change/Do the Behavior

To Stay the Same/Not do the Behavior

Benefits EmotionalMentalPhysicalSocialFinancialOccupational

EmotionalMentalPhysicalSocialFinancialOccupational

Drawbacks



List 10 reasons you want to ________ and review them daily.

Create a collage of all the reasons you want to __________.

Keep a journal of how things change positively for you as you ___________.

Make a list of disputes for your most frequent cop-outs. Tell three people about your goal.

Maintaining Emotional Motivation

List 10 reasons you need to _______________. Keep written information available that

highlights the benefits of the program. Have clients research how this change can

benefit them List 10 reasons you know you can _________. Set an end date for each objective.

Maintaining Intellectual Motivation

Identify 3 social supports that understand (or are willing to learn about) addiction and co-occurring disorders recovery

Buddy-Up-- Encourage people with similar goals to support each other in and out of group/class.

Plan weekly fun social activities with friends, children, pets

Maintaining Social Motivation

Create a positive environment The way things look on the outside often reflect

how you feel on the inside Eliminate sensory (visual, auditory,

olfactory) stimuli –i.e. Bob Marley has to go.

Maintaining Environmental Motivation

Keep a daily check-in sheet of how you feel physically (pain, lethargy, fatigue, irritability)

Use money you would have spent on your addiction to take care of yourself Fitness center membership Massage Hot-tub Spa day

Maintaining Physical Motivation

Identify 5 obstacles to accomplishing your goal, what motivations they are related to, and 3 solutions for each

Identify 5 reasons for prior relapses, motivations for each and alternative behaviours

Maintaining Motivation--General


Pitfalls1. Failing to consider why you currently do (or do not)

engage in certain behaviors. 2. Setting goals that are too big 3. Setting goals that are too hard 4. Setting too many goals 5. Setting goals without sufficient rewards 6. Setting goals that are too specific

Identify 3 treatment plan goals patients have set which failed and why.

Prioritizing Goals

Biological/Physiological

Safety & Security

Love & Belonging

Self-esteem

Self-actualization

Summary Good Goals

Use positive language Address the reasons for not changing as well as

changing Are meaningful to the patient SMART Use the KSA progression

Knowledge in generalKnowledge specific to the patientSkills in generalSkills specific to the patient



Summary Well formed goals guide effective treatment Making goals SMART helps clients

Improve self-esteem and self-efficacy See incremental improvements

Goal Setting for Behavior Change

Education