Table 2.

The Principles of Goal Setting and Monitoring

Principle	Description
1) Goal setting necessitates goal monitoring	To engage in collaborative goal setting is only the first step in the continuity of care; goals should only be set when goal-related progress will be tracked systematically over time.
2) Goal setting and monitoring require and engender a working relationship	Goal-facilitated therapeutic work requires, but can also foster, a working relationship.
3) Goal setting and monitoring are interactive	Goal setting and monitoring are a dialogue where client needs and presenting concerns are transformed into a specified action plan.
4) Goal setting and monitoring are explicit	Accountability to goals and goal-related progress will only occur if they are made explicit in the treatment process.
5) Goal setting and monitoring emphasize client choice	The client is the actor in goal-facilitated therapeutic work; therefore, client choice, priorities, and preferences should shape goal formulation and the method of progress monitoring.
6) Goal setting and monitoring incorporate assessment data and the best available research	Therapist is the partner in goal-directed therapeutic work; a key therapist contribution is expertise in assessment procedures and research data relevant to the continuity of care.
7) Goal setting and monitoring utilize client self-determination	Therapist works purposefully to emphasize client self-determination, as well as related mechanisms such as optimism and positive outcome expectations.
8) Goal setting and monitoring utilize client motivation	Therapist attends to client values, ambivalence, and motivation to facilitate the formulation and monitoring of therapeutic goals.
9) Goal setting and monitoring utilize client self-efficacy	Therapist attends to client self-efficacy as a needed attribute in pursuing the agreed upon action plan.
10) The goal-setting and monitoring therapist is collaborative, flexible, and highly accountable to a goal-facilitated direction for treatment.	Therapist will put client priorities and preferences first, while maintaining some continuity in relation to the goal-formulation, action, and progress monitoring plan. A culture of accountability, transparency, and openness to feedback in the treatment process is central.