How to Set Goals in Therapy for Kids

When adults enter therapy, they usually have clear reasons for seeking support, so setting goals often feels like a natural first step. For children and teens, though, goal-setting is just as important. Establishing realistic, age-appropriate goals helps young clients and their parents better understand the purpose of therapy while also making it easier to track progress and celebrate wins. 

Unfortunately, the process of setting therapy goals with children hasn’t been as well-studied as therapy goals in adults, so many clinicians might not understand exactly how to go about it.

This guide will explain everything therapists and parents need to know about setting therapy goals with children, including the types of goals to set and specific examples.

Introduction to therapy goals for kids

Goal-setting is an important part of the therapy process, including for children. In addition to building the therapeutic relationship, setting goals is usually one of the primary objectives for the first few therapy sessions.

Setting explicit goals might not seem necessary for all children. For example, you might be conducting play therapy with a child and working toward broader goals (like helping the child process trauma) without necessarily defining your key goals.

However, research indicates that goal-setting in child therapy is strongly associated with better care satisfaction. Parents are more likely to be satisfied with therapeutic services if they understand the goals of treatment. Setting goals also helps youth feel more included in their care, which can improve their self-worth (especially after trauma). 

Setting measurable therapy goals helps children and their families understand the progress they’re making. But the goal-setting process needs to take into account the child’s developmental stage, personality, desires, and needs to be effective.

Understanding SMART goals in child therapy

There’s not necessarily one “right” way to set goals in child therapy. However, the SMART framework has helped many therapists ensure they’re setting goals that enable them to set measurable objectives and track progress.

• Specific: The goal should describe a clear area of focus, such as “learn three new coping strategies” instead of “feel better.”
• Measurable: Progress needs to be tracked. For example, a therapist might measure how many times a child uses a new skill during the week.
• Achievable: Goals should be realistic for the child’s developmental level and current situation. Setting lofty goals may lead to frustration.
• Relevance: The goal should align with the child’s needs, values, and symptoms. It should also matter to both the child and their family.
• Time-bound: Goals should have a specific time frame, such as “by the end of six sessions,” to help track progress and make adjustments as needed.

Common therapy goal areas for children

Therapy goals are unique to every child. Goals should consider:

• The child’s needs
• Their mental health symptoms
• Their developmental stage

Therapists typically collaborate with the child and their parents or caregivers to set these goals.

Here are common categories that these goals tend to fall under.

Emotional regulation

Emotional regulation is the ability to identify, manage, and express our emotions. Children naturally have a harder time with this skill because their brains aren’t yet fully developed. It can be even more difficult for children who’ve experienced trauma or live with mental health conditions.

Research shows that learning emotional regulation during childhood can have many benefits, including better mental health and relationships. Therapists often set the goal of helping children improve their emotional regulation skills. They might work toward this through play therapy or psychoeducation about different emotions.

Example goal: By the end of eight weeks, the child will use deep breathing to calm down during moments of frustration at least three times per week, as reported by parents.

Social skills

Practicing and improving social skills can be an especially important therapy goal for children with neurodevelopmental conditions like ADHD or autism. Research shows that children with these conditions are more likely to experience rejection from their peers. Practicing social interactions in therapy can be a crucial part of helping children understand how to communicate effectively and build healthy relationships.

Example goal: During four out of five therapy sessions, the child will practice recognizing and responding to different facial expressions during role-play activities.

Symptom management

If children are in therapy because of a mental health condition, like depression or an anxiety disorder, learning how to manage their symptoms can be an important area of growth. These conditions don’t have a “cure,” but children (and their parents) can learn effective coping strategies so that their symptoms no longer affect their daily lives.

Example goal: In the next 90 days, the child will use at least two coping strategies (such as journaling or grounding exercises) to reduce anxiety symptoms before tests, as tracked over the course of one school term.

Behavioral goals

Many children have behavioral difficulties that come along with mental health conditions. For example, a child with ADHD may struggle to follow instructions in the classroom. Or a child with oppositional defiant disorder could have strong emotional responses that cause them to lash out against authority figures.

Therapy can help children develop self-awareness and learn essential life skills, enabling them to meet behavioral expectations at home and in school.

Example goal: With minimal prompting, the child will complete morning routines (like brushing teeth and getting dressed) five days a week to demonstrate independence and self-starting for a period of six months.

Family dynamics

Clinical practice guidelines universally agree that family involvement is crucial for the success of child therapy. Improving family dynamics can significantly enhance the child’s mental health. When the family works together on communication, boundaries, and shared routines, the child is more likely to succeed in therapy.

Example goal: Family members will practice weekly communication skills exercises during therapy sessions for a period of six months.

Collaborative goal-setting with children and parents

Child therapists typically collaborate with the child themselves to set therapy goals. When and if it’s safe to do so, therapists will also typically involve the child’s primary caregivers in the entire therapeutic process, including in the goal-setting stage.

Why involve kids?

Involving the child in the goal-setting process can help them feel more invested in the therapeutic process. Collaboration can also enhance buy-in and mitigate some of the resistance therapists may face.

The child’s goals should be considered, not only their parents’ or teachers’. Adults’ main focus might be to manage behaviors, but what does the child want? Plus, can the therapist help them achieve it, even if it seems unrelated to the behavioral goals that their parents have?

Younger children (toddlers and preschoolers) typically won’t have as deep an understanding of goals, and that’s okay. Whenever possible, the goals of therapy should be explained to them in a way that they can understand. Children should understand, at a minimum, what therapy is and why they’re participating in it.

Role of parents

Parents and other primary caregivers also play an essential role in setting therapy goals. Therapists will typically work closely with parents to understand the child’s daily struggles, strengths, and family environment. Parents can reinforce therapy strategies at home and track progress outside of sessions.

For children aged 0 to 5, therapy typically focuses on teaching parents how to interact, play, and build attachment; therefore, involving parents in setting therapy goals is especially important for this age group. Sometimes, the goal may be more about changing the parent’s behavior than the child’s.

Tools & techniques for goal-setting

Goal-setting can look different with children than it does with adults. Here are some tools and strategies that you can use to set meaningful goals

Goal ladders

Goal ladders are a method for working through goals step-by-step. They’re an especially useful strategy for children who live with anxiety disorders or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It looks like a staircase of smaller goals leading up to a bigger one. Each step encourages the child to face a bigger fear. 

Using a goal ladder, therapists help children set small, achievable goals that gradually expose them to their fears without engaging in compulsions (a process called exposure and response prevention, or ERP). This structured approach helps children build confidence while facing their anxiety triggers.

Vision boards

Vision boards are a good way to help children and teens narrow down their personal goals. This activity uses art and creativity to make abstract ideas more concrete, which can be especially helpful for younger clients.

This is an artistic activity that can be tailored to accommodate the child’s developmental stage. For example, older children and teens might complete a collage vision board about their longer-term goals. In comparison, for younger children, vision boards might include simple drawings, stickers, or cut-out pictures from magazines that represent their more immediate wishes.

Because vision boards are flexible, therapists can adapt them to the child’s developmental level. The activity provides children with a visual way to express what they’re working toward, even if they don’t yet have the vocabulary to articulate their goals in words. It can also make goal-setting feel more fun and engaging, which increases buy-in.

The miracle question

The miracle question is a solution-focused therapy technique where the therapist asks: “If you woke up tomorrow and a miracle had happened, and your problem was gone, what would be different?” This helps children imagine what change might look like in their lives and identify meaningful goals.

The miracle question may not be as effective for younger children, as they’re more prone to magical thinking. In other words, they may take the question more literally and come up with goals that aren’t realistic.

Feeling thermometers 

Feeling thermometers can help a child become more aware of their emotions and how they change over time.

For example, a child might rate their anxiety on a scale from 1 to 10 before and after using a calming technique. This can help them see progress and build awareness of what strategies work best for them.

Setting goals for specific populations

Research shows that therapists are most likely to set clear therapeutic goals for children with specific neurodevelopmental conditions like autism or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). 

When setting goals with these populations, it’s essential to consider the child’s personal values and emotional well-being. Although behavioral goals are often important to adults, the focus should be on improving the child’s quality of life. These conditions represent different ways of thinking, and aren’t things to be “cured.” 

Autism Spectrum

Some examples of therapy goals for autistic children include:

• The child will practice initiating social interactions during therapy sessions twice per week.
• The child will use a visual schedule to transition between activities at home.
• The child will increase tolerance for sensory challenges by using coping skills during one new activity per month.

ADHD

Examples of therapy goals for children with ADHD include:

• The child will use a planner to record and complete homework assignments at least four days per week.
• With minimal prompting, the child will stay seated and complete classroom tasks for 10 minutes at a time.
• The child will practice impulse-control strategies, like counting to five before responding, during role-play sessions.

Tracking, reviewing, and adjusting goals 

Goal-setting in therapy shouldn’t be a one-time task. As children grow and circumstances change, their goals need to evolve, too. Reviewing progress regularly helps therapists, parents, and children see what’s working and what’s not.

Tracking goals can be done through different methods, including:

• Therapist observation
• Parent and teacher reports
• The child’s own self-reflection
• Clinical instruments and screening tools

If goals are no longer relevant or progress has stalled, they can be adjusted. This flexibility ensures that therapy remains meaningful and effective.

How Emora Health can help

Setting therapy goals with children is both an art and a science.

SMART goals need to be realistic, measurable, and tailored to the child’s developmental stage. They should also include the voices of both the child and their caregivers.

If your child is starting therapy, discuss goal-setting with their therapist early on. It’s one of the best ways to make therapy feel purposeful.

Are you looking for a therapist for your child? At Emora Health, our licensed child and teen therapists work closely with families to set therapy goals that are practical, measurable, and meaningful. We’ll help you and your child identify what matters most and create a plan together that shows how therapy is working.

Get started today and find a provider in your state.