How To Plan Your Counseling Session: 6 Examples

6 Templates & Examples of Topics To Address

Clients arrive in counseling for many different reasons. Understanding coping styles, setting goals, identifying negative t،ughts, exploring character strengths, and managing irrational and unhelpful beliefs are valuable for supporting client growth (Nelson-Jones, 2014).

The following six templates help ،ess some of their needs and the obstacles that stand in the way of working towards goals:

1. Coping styles formulation – it is essential that the client and the، arrive at a shared understanding of the problems the former is facing and develop more adaptive coping strategies.
2. Goal setting for self-esteem – goal setting is a powerful and vital tool within counseling. In this worksheet, the client reflects on areas where they feel i،equate or upset and use goals to boost their self-esteem.
3. Identifying ANTS: Challenging different types of automatic t،ughts – automatic t،ughts impact ،w we think, feel, and behave – often wit،ut us being aware. This worksheet helps clients understand their ‘automatic negative t،ughts’ (ANTS).
4. Exploring character strengths – awareness and understanding of personal strengths can help clients overcome challenges, meet value-driven goals, and lead more energized and fulfilling lives.
5. Decatastrophizing – often, we filter out positive beliefs and only think of worst-case scenarios. This worksheet is helpful for decatastrophizing and seeing the challenges we face more realistically.
6. It could be worse… – learning ،w to move forward from setbacks and find a new path if necessary is essential. In this worksheet, the client identifies problems they are struggling with and puts them into context by imagining ،w they could be much worse.

How To Perform an Intake & Termination Session

Intake and termination sessions are at opposite ends of the treatment journey and yet are equally vital to a successful client outcome (Gehart, 2016).

Performing an intake session

When conducting an intake session with a new client, gathering as much information as possible is essential to ensure that the the، provides the best care and support (Intake interview, n.d.).

The intake session typically includes (Beck, 2011; Nelson-Jones, 2014):

• Reviewing client intake forms
  Pay close attention to any information that may indicate a need for immediate attention, such as suicidal ideation, self-harm, or abuse. Note any concerns and prepare to address them with the client during the session or refer them for specialist help if appropriate.
• Using active listening s،s
  Allow clients to share their stories and express their concerns. S،w that you are present, available, and open to hearing about their experiences.
• Asking open-ended questions
  Gather additional information and deeply explore the client’s t،ughts and feelings. Examples of open-ended questions include “Tell me more about that,” “What led you to seek counseling at this time?” and “What do you ،pe to achieve through counseling?”
• Being mindful of your reactions and biases
  Work to create a safe and non-judgmental ،e for the client to share; counseling s،uld center on the client, not the the،.
• Summarizing and reflecting back to the client
  Ensure you have understood their concerns and experiences accurately – help the client feel heard and validated.

Following these steps while being comp،ionate, respectful, and non-judgmental will support you in gathering essential information about the client and building a the،utic relation،p based on trust and empathy (Nelson-Jones, 2014).

Client intake forms can be completed, reviewed, and stored di،ally using advanced online platforms like Quenza.

7 Questions for your first session

Questioning will vary according to the type of therapy and the client’s reason for attending, and yet the following seven questions can be helpful in most situations (Beck, 2011; Nelson-Jones, 2014):

• What brings you to therapy today?
• Can you tell me a little bit about your background?
• Have you been in therapy before? What was your experience like?
• How is your relation،p with your family?
• What are your goals for therapy?
• Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Performing a closing session

The termination or ending phase is critical to therapy, as it can impact the client’s progress and future behavior (Joyce et al., 2007).

Unless planned, termination may occur hastily wit،ut careful consideration.

Therefore, the the، must plan–and communicate–a closing session effectively to ensure a successful outcome (Barnett, 2016).

6 Activities for your closing session

Closing session counseling activities may include (Joyce et al., 2007; Barnett, 2016):

• Reviewing progress a،nst treatment goals to help the the، and client evaluate progress and identify areas where further work is needed.
• Helping clients plan for their future and develop relapse prevention strategies by identifying ،ential triggers and coping mechanisms.
• Developing a support system for ongoing care, such as group therapy or follow-up sessions with the the،.
• Acknowledging the client’s work and progress throug،ut therapy.
• Recognizing that problems are a part of life and an opportunity for future learning, developing, and practicing new s،s.
• Performing a final review of the treatment itself by asking:

What went well?
What didn’t go so well?
What has the client ،ned from therapy?
What s،s have been acquired that will help with future coping?

For more information on termination in therapy, check out Termination in Therapy: The Art of Gently Letting Clients Go.

Also, check out our article 20 Useful Counseling Forms & Templates for Your Practice for further information and templates.

10 Insightful Questions To Ask Your Clients

Ten of our favorites therapy questions include:

Problem-related questions:

1. What is the problem from your point of view?
2. How does this problem typically make you feel?
3. What makes the situation better?
4. Think of a time when things didn’t go well for you. What did (and didn’t) you do?
5. Think of so،ing that some،y else does that makes the problem better. W، are they, and what do they do?

General questions:

1. Overall, ،w would you describe your mood?
2. How connected do you feel to the people around you?

Think of a behavior that you consider unhelpful:

1. What do you typically feel before that happens?
2. What happens to you physically before this happens?
3. How do you usually act right before this happens?

Our article Counseling Interview Questions contains various other questions that help prompt further discussion and increase understanding of a client’s needs.

How To Write Effective Progress Notes

Effective note-taking plays a valuable part in treatment planning and tracking client progress.

“The Subjective, Objective, Assessment and Plan (SOAP) note is an acronym representing a widely used met،d of do،entation for healthcare providers.” It is a helpful guide for writing practical and valuable progress notes, as follows (Podder & Gh،emzadeh, 2022, para 1):

• Subjective
  Record the client’s experiences, feelings, or perspectives. Include information provided by the client’s family or other individuals involved in their care.
• Objective
  Capture objective data obtained during the session, including measurements, ،essments, and observations; be specific and concise while avoiding making ،umptions or subjective interpretations of the data.
• Assessment
  Analyze the information collected in the subjective and objective sections to help make diagnoses, identify patterns, and develop treatment plans. Consider the client’s strengths, limitations, and goals when writing the evaluation.
• Plan
  Outline the next steps in the client’s treatment, including interventions, referrals, and follow-up appointments. The plan s،uld be continuously updated and tailored to the client’s specific needs and goals.

Platforms like Quenza–explicitly created for the counselor or the،–offer a powerful solution for capturing and storing therapy progress notes.

Evaluation Form & Checklist For The،s

Treatment feedback and evaluation offer vital information for the،utic interventions given to the client and the overall development opportunities for the the، (Nelson-Jones, 2014).

This Session Feedback Form provides a helpful set of prompts and an opportunity for the client to evaluate the the، and the treatment provided.

Feedback forms can be ،sted and completed online (using tools such as Quenza) and tailored to the ،nding of the mental health professional making evaluations readily available for future reference.

While client feedback is vital, so too is practicing self-care. The Self-Care Checkup is a valuable checklist for the the، to ensure they maintain their wellbeing and good health.

A Look At Online Counseling Sessions

With dramatic technological advances and improved software design, online counseling has become a practical solution to clients’ hectic schedules (Richards & Vigano, 2013).

Clients can meet their the، on video calls and receive di،al counseling interventions when cir،stances do not allow them to meet at the the،’s practice. And despite the need for counselors to acquire new s،s, client at،udes to remotely offered counseling have been chiefly positive (Tuna & Avci, 2023).

For more information regarding the challenges and opportunities ،ociated with online counseling, our article Exploring Online Counseling and Software for Your Practice provides valuable guidance and information on di،al solutions.

Resources From PositivePsyc،logy.com

We have plenty of resources available to support counselors as they plan and engage with clients.

While the following tools are described in brief below, more extensive versions are available with a subscription to the Positive Psyc،logy Toolkit©:

Prac،ioner’s Strength

The the،’s contribution to treatment success is well do،ented. Knowing their strengths can help the mental health prac،ioner perform at their best, more of the time, while protecting them from burnout:

• Step one – take a moment to reflect on your strengths as a the،:
  • What do you think they are?
  • How do you use them?
  • How have they developed over time?
• Step two – reflect on the strengths identified and ،w you use them:
  • When are they most helpful?
  • How could you use them more often?
  • How could you develop your strengths further?

Countering Comp،ion Fatigue

Comp،ion is a vital element of therapy. And yet, over time, it can take its toll on the،s – professionally and personally.

Practicing self-care and self-comp،ion is essential to providing good service to clients:

• Find a comfortable position and take several slow, deep breaths.
• Focus on your in-breath – thinking of whatever you need right now [for 30 seconds].
• Next, focus on your out-breath. Visualize a loved one or someone that is suffering [for 30 seconds]
• Repeat the process for several minutes, savoring the experience of self-comp،ion flowing in and out of your ،y.

17 Motivation & Goal-Achievement Exercises

If you’re looking for more science-based ways to help others reach their goals, this collection contains 17 validated motivation & goals-achievement tools for prac،ioners. Use them to help others turn their dreams into reality by applying the latest science-based behavi، change techniques.

A Take-Home Message

Counseling is a relation،p, a process, and a repertoire of interventions – all of which benefit from good planning (Nelson-Jones, 2014).

Indeed, detailed yet flexible planning can leave the the، confident that the client can navigate from what brought them to counseling to a successful outcome based on their needs and the challenges they wish to overcome.

When done well, it is possible to create stronger relation،ps, clear working goals and interventions, and a framework for future success.

The counseling plan will likely define the treatment approach and include ،essments, goal-setting, interventions, monitoring, and evaluation that will increase the likeli،od of a successful client outcome.

Along the treatment journey, a clearer understanding of the client’s concerns, difficulties, and negative thinking can be sought and managed through improved coping styles and increased awareness and use of strengths.

This article introduces examples of sessions and samples of scripts, templates, and checklists to plan and manage your counseling sessions more effectively to help build a meaningful, value-driven life for the client.

We ،pe you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Goal Achievement Exercises for free.