PRECISE THERAPEUTIC GOALS
The most unique aspect of CBT with groups is the specifi c goals of change. A
CBT approach to group therapy focuses more concretely on specifi c target areas
of change than any other modality. In most CBT groups, the initial stages of
group work are devoted to clients’ expanding the fi nal step of their assessment
by formulating specifi c statements of the personal goals they want to achieve.
The identifi cation of goals determines the direction of therapeutic movement.
Although the group leader guides the discussion of goals and collaborates
with the members, the group members themselves select their personal goals
(White, 2000b). Group members spell out concrete problematic behaviors they
want to change and new skills they want to learn. Personal goals that clients
might set include reducing anxiety in test-taking situations, eliminating phobias
that interfere with effective functioning, coping with depression, learning
communication skills, developing problem-solving strategies to cope with a
variety of situations encountered in daily life, losing weight, and getting rid of
addictions (to smoking, alcohol, or other drugs). At the beginning of each session
an agenda is set to prioritize members’ goals and to outline how the time
will be spent. This agenda is co-created by members and the group leader. A
CBT group at its best is a collaborative endeavor.