Goals are important and necessary for successful therapy and change. But goals have to be things that matter to you personally, not things pushed on you. There's a big difference. For me, for instance, I went in there with PTSD. A simple goal: I don't want to have PTSD! But to get there, I have to do a lot of smaller things, reach smaller goals. Others have other goals, some people want to be happier, have better sex, be more assertive, feel less anxiety, be able to come out to their parents, actualize their potential, whatever.

Sometimes people go to a therapist just to complain about the daily happenings, but they don't want to change, they don't want anything else to happen, just give the guy money and have the person validate you or just sit there and shut up. I guess that's kind of the goal of therapy for them. They are not going in there with a particular mental illness, just want someone to listen to them because there's nobody else in their life like that.

Whatever the reason, I think it's important to know why people are going for therapy. I think a lot of times therapists let the patients decide what the goals are (except time limited therapy of sorts), cause it's important to be on the same page. It makes no sense for a therapist to try to help person change, when they don't want to in any shape or form. Or vice versa, a therapist who just wants to listen and nod his head, but the patient wants something more. So depending on the goals, as in my case, we would review smaller ones every couple of weeks and bigger ones every several months. I need to have space and time and not feel pressured, so my therapists understood that and let me lead the way, mostly providing how-to info about getting closer to my goals.