Smart goals study

Goal 1

 I will work to gain clinical and practical skills in psychotherapy approaches by participating in daily psychotherapy sessions guided by my preceptor. By the end of this clinical experience, I intend to have improved my clinical approach to psychotherapy as evidenced by improved patient assessment skills and initiating the recommended therapeutic interventions.

1. Specific: Gaining clinical and practical skills in psychotherapy approaches. 2. Measurable: Through daily practice of applying psychotherapy modalities 

in in-patient and out-patient settings. 

…Cont’d

3. Attainable: This goal is easily attainable since it is aligned with my core  objectives for this particular clinical experience.

4. Realistic: Daily practice makes the achievement of this goal possible.

5. Time-bound: The end of this clinical experience. 

Goal 2

 I will improve my knowledge of psychotherapy modalities and their application by reading and researching on one modality every week. By the end of six weeks I intend to have improved my theoretical knowledge of various psychotherapeutic modalities.

1. Specific: Improve my knowledge on psychotherapy modalities and their  applications.

2. Measurable: I will ensure I read and research one modality every week. 

…Cont’d

3. Attainable: Dividing the work into weekly manageable portions makes it  achievable.

4. Realistic: With consistency and dogged determination, I believe that I will  achieve this goal within the stipulated time. 

5. Time-bound: By the end of six weeks. 

Goal 3

 I will increase my knowledge of psychological problems and their diagnosis by reviewing the relevant literature four times every week. By the end of this clinical practicum, I should be able to explain the symptoms of common psychological problems and identify their diagnostic features.

1. Specific: Increase my knowledge of psychological problems and their  diagnosis.

2. Measurable: I intend to read on these problems four times every week. 

…Cont’d

3. Attainable: The protracted time frame and the objective nature (four  weekly readings) of the goal makes it achievable.

4. Realistic: Creating time every week for four reading sessions makes it  possible to attain this goal. 

5. Time-bound: The end of this clinical experience. 

Goal 4

 I will gradually work on improving patient interactions by establishing rapport and therapeutic alliances. I will ensure I see at least one patient everyday and apply psychotherapy approaches during these interactions. By the end of the first month, I want to be able to handle a wide range of patients autonomously with minimal assistance from my preceptor.

1. Specific: Improve patient interactions by establishing rapport and  therapeutic alliance.

2. Measurable: Interacting with at least one patient everyday.

…Cont’d

3. Attainable: Practicing improving my patient interaction skills through daily  practice makes this goal easily attainable.

4. Realistic: With consistency, I should have tremendously improved my  patient approach competencies before the stipulated time period. 

5. Time-bound: Before the end of the first month. 

Goal 5

 I will work towards providing culturally-competent and professional services to diverse patient populations and groups before the end of this clinical experience. I will enroll into a cultural-competency training program and assess my baseline cultural competencies at the start of this practicum.

1. Specific: Provide culturally-competent services to diverse patients and  groups. 

2. Measurable: Tracking my cultural competencies from the start to the end  of this clinical practicum. 

…Cont’d

3. Attainable: Seeking professional training makes this goal easily  achievable. 

4. Realistic: Improving my cultural competencies will enable me to provide  psychotherapy to a wide pool of patients, while demonstrating respect for their  various backgrounds. 

5. Time-bound: The end of this clinical experience. 

References

 Cook, S. C., Schwartz, A. C., & Kaslow, N. J. (2017). Evidence-based psychotherapy: Advantages and 

challenges. Neurotherapeutics, 14, 537-545. https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs13311-017-0549-4 

 Kaluzeviciute, G. (2020). The role of empathy in psychoanalytic psychotherapy: A historical exploration. Cogent

Psychology, 7(1), 1748792. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2020.1748792 

 Parth, K., Fischer-Kern, M., Rössler-Schülein, H., & Doering, S. (2020). Psychoanalytic psychotherapy in 

Austria. Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, 34(2), 111-128. https://doi.org/10.1080/02668734.2020.1802614 

 Watkins Jr, C. E., Hook, J. N., Owen, J., DeBlaere, C., Davis, D. E., & Van Tongeren, D. R. (2019). Multicultural 

orientation in psychotherapy supervision: Cultural humility, cultural comfort, and cultural opportunities. American

journal of psychotherapy, 72(2), 38-46. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.20180040