Client: ___________________ Date: ___________________
Therapist: ___________________
Bern Inventory of Treatment Goals (US - 1.0)
Goals Checklist
Setting goals is an important part of psychotherapy. That’s why we’d like to learn about your
personal goals for therapy.
To help you formulate your therapy goals, we’re providing the list below. The list is divided into
five sections. In the left column, we’ve listed broad content areas. In the right column, we’ve
listed specific therapy goals.
Carefully read through the list and mark each goal you’d like to pursue in therapy.
If you have a specific personal goal that you can’t find in the list, please describe it in your own
words on the lines provided.
At the end of the list, please describe how each goal fits in with your specific life situation, and
indicate the importance of each goal.
Thank you for providing this important information.
Coping with Specific Problems and Symptoms
With the help of therapy, I’d like to …
Depressive _ 1 … learn how to cope with my negative thoughts, ruminations, or sense of guilt.
experiences _ 2 .… find a way out of my negative mood, sadness, or sense of inner emptiness.
_ 3 … learn how to cope with my moodiness or mood fluctuations.
_ 4 … gain more drive and energy
Self-injury _ 5 … learn how to stop physically hurting or injuring myself.
_ 6 .… overcome my suicidal thoughts or regain the desire to live.
Fears or anxiety _ 7 … learn how to overcome a specific fear or how to cope with it.
_ 8 .… learn how to master anxiety or panic attacks.
_ 9 … learn how to be among people without acting insecurely (e.g., blushing, stuttering).
_ 10 … learn how to do things again that I’ve been avoiding because of my fear.
Obsessive _ 11 … learn how to control recurring thoughts or impulses that have been
thoughts and tormenting me.
compulsive _ 12 .… learn how to limit repetitive, time-consuming, or senseless behaviors
behaviors
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(excessive hand-washing, excessive cleaning, checking, counting, etc.).
Unusually _ 13 … come to terms with an event or several events that have been unusually
demanding demanding or upsetting.
events
Addictive _ 14 … discontinue a drug I’ve been physically addicted to.
behaviors _ 15 .… learn how to live without addictive substances (alcohol, drugs, etc.).
_ 16 … learn how to control my use of drugs or alcohol.
_ 17 … learn how to cope with difficult situations without using drugs or alcohol.
Eating behaviors _ 18 … learn how to cope with my eating problems (anorexia, binge-eating,
binging and purging, etc.).
_ 19 .… learn how handle my weight problems (reducing my weight or
learning to accept it).
Sleep _ 20 … overcome my sleep problems (difficulties falling asleep, waking up in the middle of
the night, waking up too early in the morning, etc.).
Sexuality _ 21 … get help with sexual problems.
Physical pain and _ 22 … learn how to reduce or cope with my physical pain.
illness _ 23 .… learn how to cope with my physical illness.
Difficulties in _ 24 … deal with problems related to housing (e.g., cope with a specific housing problem
specific life or set a goal related to housing).
domains _ 25 .… cope with specific problems related to work, school, or training.
_ 26 … learn how be more organized in daily life.
Stress _ 27 … learn how to handle stressful situations better.
… please continue on the next page.
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Interpersonal Goals
With the help of therapy, I’d like to …
Current _ 28 … improve my relationship with my partner, spouse, or significant other.
relationship _ 29 .… improve my sex-life with my partner, spouse, or significant other.
_ 30 … clarify or come to terms with expectations or feelings related to my partner,
spouse, or significant other.
Parenthood and _ 31 … learn how to be a better or more confident parent.
current family _ 32 .… change the way I act around my children.
_ 33 .… change my current family situation in some way.
Family or origin _ 34 … change my relationship with my parents (learn how to separate from them, deal
with guilt feelings, feel less dependent on them, etc.).
Other _ 35 … improve or clarify my relationship with people I know (other than
relationships partner/significant other/spouse)
_ 36 .… come to terms with a separation from an ex-partner, spouse, or significant other.
Loneliness and _ 37 … learn how to handle being alone.
grief _ 38 .… come to terms with the loss of someone I loved.
Assertiveness _ 39 … learn how to be more assertive with others and set appropriate boundaries.
and boundary _ 40 .… learn how to handle other people’s reactions to my behavior
issues (criticism, rejection, praise, etc.).
Connection and _ 41 … learn how to connect with other people (and how to maintain relationships).
Intimacy _ 42 .… learn how to become more intimate with others and trust others.
_ 43 .… prepare for a new relationship.
… please continue on the next page.
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Improving Well-Being
With the help of therapy, I’d like to …
Exercise and _ 44 … get more active in sports and other physical activities.
Activity _ 45 .… learn how to structure my spare-time more meaningfully (hobbies, cultural
activities, etc..
Relaxation and _ 46 … learn how to relax and take it easy.
peace-of-mind _ 47 .… become calmer and more laid-back.
Well-Being _ 48 … learn how to enjoy life and have fun.
_ 49 .… learn how to feel more comfortable with my body.
Orientation in Life
With the help of therapy, I’d like to …
Past, present, _ 50 … come to terms with things that happened in the past.
and future _ 51 .… understand more clearly who I am, what I’ m capable of, and what I want out of life.
_ 52 .… discuss plans or ideas regarding my future (personal, educational, or
occupational).
Meaning of Life _ 53 … clarify questions regarding the meaning of my life or my activities.
… please continue on the next page.
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Self-related Goals
With the help of therapy, I’d like to …
Attitude towards _ 54 … gain self-confidence or become more self-assured.
myself _ 55 .… learn to accept myself the way I am.
Desires and _ 56 … clarify my needs and desires and learn how to express them more effectively.
Wishes _ 57 .… figure out what my limits are and how to act accordingly.
_ 58 .… learn how to pursue my goals and plans more effectively.
Performance, _ 59 … learn how to make decisions more independently.
Control, and _ 60 .… learn how to finish projects I’ve started.
Responsibility
_ 61 .… learn how to adjust overly high expectations I have in myself or others.
_ 62 .… learn how to delegate responsibility and control.
Dealing with _ 63 … allow myself to experience feelings and express them more effectively.
Feelings _ 64 .… learn how to deal with strong negative feelings (e.g., anger, rage).
Can you think of other goals for therapy that didn’t fit with any of the categories?
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… please continue on the next page.
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After you’ve completed the checklist, please write your goals on this page. If you’ve marked
more than five goals, please indicate here your five most important goals (it’s also okay to
have fewer than five goals).
Start by putting the numbers of your most important goals into the boxes below (one
number per box).
Then, describe in your own words how each goal fits into your personal life situation. Try
to be as concrete and specific as possible.
Goal Number: ______
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