Sometimes you’ll get a client who comes in with a whole laundry-list of issues. This can be a problem because, if you want to get rapid results, you need to focus on one goal at a time.
The client’s therapeutic goal is like your north star. It tells you where to go as you navigate the client through the process. Everything you do points to this one thing.
You need to have a clearly defined therapeutic goal for the process.
The problem that will get the client the most “bang” for their therapeutic buck is the issue that has the biggest emotional charge around it. That’s where the energy is trapped. So, this is where you can get a more dramatic shift.
You just have to pick one issue to work on at a time. If you try to deal with too many issues at once it’s like trying to herd cats. And it makes it very difficult to get any traction. If it seems like you’re spinning your wheels trying to get a result, it’s often simply because you’re not being specific enough. That can lead to frustration and failure for both you and the client.
You need to have a clearly defined, specific goal to focus on before you go to work. After all, if you don’t know where you’re going – how will you know when you get there?