Goal consensus and collaboration in psychotherapy: An existential rationale

Goal consensus and collaboration has proved to be significant for treatment outcome. Why this is the case has not been studied. The terms suggest a technical rationale; that increased attention to consensus and collaboration will lead to a more efficient use of therapeutic resources on the part of both client and therapist. However, an existential rationale is also a possibility. This study explores such a rationale. When therapists focus on goal consensus and collaboration in sessions, they implicitly draw attention to the clients' directedness toward the future; sense of self-worth; isolation, relatedness, and freedom; agency; and the changing nature of the client and the world.