It is a new year and with that brings new thoughts on how to better oneself, create healthier habits and follow through with plans. Holding clients accountable in therapy includes identifying goals that you both agree on and can be measured, building a rapport, setting clear expectations and reminding clients of the commitments they agreed to with gentle, yet assertive reminders throughout the therapeutic process. This takes work from both the therapist and client. This work can be filled with an empathetic and supportive push, healthy confrontation and celebrating achievements together, while the client learns to take ownership of their journey and goals.

Some key components to holding clients accountable in therapy include creating SMART goals, regular check-ins, encouraging self-awareness, positive feedback, healthy confrontation and setting clear expectations. While goals and hard work is necessary, providing empathy and support while holding clients accountable is key. Maintaining a supportive and empathetic approach to foster trusting is highly desirable in building a healthy therapeutic relationship. Another important component to accomplishing the goal of consistent accountability is to avoid shaming; never using language that is judgmental or shaming, as this can undermine the therapeutic process and cause fear in being vulnerable and honest. Lastly, working in collaboration with your therapist/client to identify solutions and strategies that align with their goals and values so you both understand and support the plan and goals.

Setting SMART goals:

Work with clients to set Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals to provide a clear framework for tracking progress. Think about your overall goals and narrow down your goal to be as specific as possible. Create a statement for your goal that helps you define it clearly. Adding measurable criteria to your goal helps you keep track of your progress. Brainstorm some ways that you can visualize each step of the process. Not only will this help you stay motivated, but accountability can also discourage you from cutting corners. Your goals can be ambitious, but they should not be impossible. You want to choose a goal that you are confident that you can reach, but that will also challenge you to follow through with smaller, more attainable actions that are needed to achieve it. Your goal should feel important and inspiring to you. If you don’t feel like the goal matters, you won’t be very motivated or invested in trying to get there. Make a timeline for when you want to reach your goal. The timeframe should be realistic but not too far into the future.

Check-ins:

Periodically review progress with clients, asking open-ended questions to encourage self-reflection and identify areas where adjustments might be needed. During check ins therapist is looking to assess increased accountability, personalized support and improved self- awareness. This is where client’s can share what has works, any road blocks or changes in wants and needs.

Positive feedback:

Highlight positive changes and behaviors to reinforce desired actions and motivate further progress. Ask clients to reflect on their thoughts, feelings, and actions to promote self-understanding and accountability. When giving positive feedback it is important to be specific, focus on effort and growth, use “I-Statements” and validate feelings in each session.

Healthy confrontation:

When necessary, address behaviors that hinder progress in a respectful manner, focusing on the behavior itself rather than personal attacks. This is giving by gently challenging a client’s self-defeating patterns or inconsistencies in their thoughts and behaviors, while maintaining a supportive and non-judgmental stance, aiming to help them gain self-awareness and work towards positive change

Setting expectations:

Clearly communicate what is expected from the client in terms of participation, attendance, and commitment to therapy. At times, holding clients accountable can be intimidating but encourage positive outcomes by clearly communicating what they can anticipate from the therapeutic process, including the roles and responsibilities of both parties, the nature of confidentiality, session structure, and the active participation needed from the client.

Reach Out

Keep in mind that life happens. Making adjustments to your goal is part of the learning process. Don’t beat yourself up if something has to change. Instead, look at your progress and your goals. Did you miss a step? Is something not working? If you see a stumbling block, readjust your plan and goal and jump right back in. If you want to make sustainable lifestyle changes, setting longer-term goals helps you keep the big picture in mind. You can still break down a long-term goal into smaller, short-term goals that will be easier to track.

A therapist could be an accountability partner or supportive listener that you need. Consider a therapy appointment if you’ve never had one! If you feel like you need continuous support, someone to help with accountability and a professional without bias in their approach, reach out!