How a Therapeutic Treatment Plan Can Help You

How a Therapeutic Treatment Plan Can Help You Phobias Treatment Print Understanding Treatment Plans in Mental Health Therapy By Lisa Fritscher Lisa Fritscher is a freelance writer and editor with a deep interest in phobias and other mental health topics. Learn about our editorial policy Lisa Fritscher Updated on February 21, 2020 Tetra Images / Getty Images More in Phobias Treatment Causes Symptoms and Diagnosis Types In mental health, a treatment plan refers to a written document that outlines the proposed goals, plan, and methods of therapy. It will be used by you and your therapist to direct the steps to take in treating whatever youre working on.   Factors Influencing a Treatment Plan A treatment plan may be highly formalized or it may consist of a less structured outline for a treatment plan. Which form it takes is dependent on a number of factors. For instance, your insurance  company may require documentation of your diagnosis and treatment in order to cover the costs. Likewise, the facility where you get treatment may have its own standards for a formal plan. Many therapists also have their own preferences. Some may  have found that  informal  treatment plans are more effective while others prefer  to work with  patients in a more orderly fashion. They will also take into account the severity of the presenting problem for each  individual. Someone  dealing with  minor depression may have a simpler  treatment plan than  a person who has  struggled with it for years with little or no progress. No matter how formalized, however, the treatment plan is always subject to change as therapy progresses. Therapy often focuses on breaking down each issue into small, manageable action steps to work out the concerns of the bigger picture. Its only natural that as you progress, so will your treatment and if something isnt working, a different approach may be required. Parts of a Treatment Plan In general, a treatment plan consists of four parts. These guide both you and your therapist along the path to discovering what is causing your concerns, your goals for therapy, as well as the techniques youre going to try. Presenting problem: A brief description of the main issue or issues.Goals of therapy: An annotated list of both the short-term and long-term goals of therapy.Methods: A short, annotated list of the techniques that will be used to achieve the goals.Time estimate: A brief estimate of the length of time and/or the number of sessions needed. For example, a treatment plan for anger management  may list a series of goals for therapy, along with an estimated number of sessions that would be needed. Your Involvement in the Treatment Plan As a client, you should always be involved in developing a treatment plan. Yet, its important to realize that this is generally accomplished through informal discussion of the situation. As you speak with your therapist, particularly in the initial sessions, they will get to know you and understand your concerns. These conversations allow them to recommend the next steps and develop goals you might want to work on. While they may not say theyre developing a plan, they really are because that is the foundation for effective therapy. Many therapists present a written copy of the treatment plan to their clients. Others may prefer to discuss the treatment plan verbally and less formally. A copy of the plan, however, should always be available upon request. The 9 Best Online Therapy Programs