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Mental Health Counseling Treatment Plan for Social Skills
Objective 1: Strengthen the client’s sense of confidence so that, within twelve weeks, the client is able to enter at least three new social situations per week while reporting a subjective confidence rating of 7 out of 10 or higher on the Session Confidence Scale.
To move toward this outcome, the clinician will conduct weekly fifty‑minute individual sessions in which the client practices graduated exposure to anxiety‑provoking social settings and rehearses assertive self‑talk drawn. Between sessions, the client will watch two short clinician‑recorded videos that model real‑life approaches for initiating conversation in settings such as cafés and study groups, and will view one expert video by psychologist Amy Cuddy on power‑posing to prime confidence. A five‑minute guided audio meditation, available through the practice’s secure Google Workspace, will help the client embody an open, upright posture before each planned exposure. The client will receive a two‑page handout summarizing the “COPE” strategy—Center breath, Observe surroundings, Positive statement, Engage—and a companion worksheet that prompts the client to log exposures, rate confidence before and after, and note what helped most. A Quenza “Stepladder of Success” activity will guide the client in breaking one ambitious social goal into smaller steps, while a Therapy Portal fillable form will capture the client’s daily confidence ratings. Progress will be monitored with weekly scores on the Subjective Units of Distress scale and bi‑weekly scores on the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale, with the target of a 30 percent reduction in avoidance by week twelve.
Objective 2: Enhance global self‑esteem so that, within sixteen weeks, the client’s Rosenberg Self‑Esteem Scale score rises from the current “low” range to at least the “normal” range and is maintained for four consecutive assessments.
The clinician will integrate a brief positive‑psychology lesson on the difference between contingent and unconditional self‑worth, followed by a values‑clarification exercise in session that helps the client identify three personal strengths. Each week the client will complete a reflective journal prompt in Quenza “Describe one action you took today that expressed your chosen strength and how it felt” for therapist feedback. A pre‑recorded expert lecture by Dr. Kristin Neff will introduce self‑compassion practices, complemented by a five‑minute loving‑kindness meditation audio file. Handouts include a psycho‑educational infographic on the growth‑mindset cycle and a worksheet for tracking self‑affirming statements. Quenza will deliver the “Best Possible Self” pathway, prompting the client to envision future accomplishments, while a Therapy Portal form will gather weekly self‑esteem ratings and qualitative reflections. Outcome will be gauged with monthly Rosenberg Self‑Esteem Scale administrations and therapist‑rated improvements in posture, eye contact, and vocal tone during role‑plays, in line with recent narrative reviews showing that positive‑psychology interventions boost self‑esteem and confidence in diverse populations.
Objective 3: Improve interpersonal communication skills so that, within twenty weeks, the client can demonstrate active‑listening and assertive‑expression techniques in at least 80 percent of session role‑plays and can report using these skills in three real‑world interactions per week.
During individual sessions, the clinician will teach the “CLEAR” communication model—Clarify intent, Listen reflectively, Express feelings with “I” statements, Ask for needs, Respond respectfully—and engage the client in structured role‑plays. The client will receive a clinician‑created video explaining paralinguistic cues such as vocal pace and intonation, and an external expert video by Dr. Marshall Rosenberg demonstrating non‑violent communication. An audio mindfulness exercise will guide the client to notice bodily sensations that signal defensive reactions. Handouts include a cue‑card with sentence stems for assertive requests and a communication self‑check worksheet. Quenza will send the “Mindful Communication” activity, prompting the client to log daily interactions and rate listening quality, while a Therapy Portal digital form will collect weekly counts of successful “CLEAR” exchanges. Outcome will be assessed through therapist observation checklists, client self‑monitoring logs, and a pre‑/post‑administration of the Social Skills Inventory, reflecting evidence that assertiveness and problem‑solving trainings measurably elevate self‑esteem and relational satisfaction.
Objective 4: Increase accurate reading of social cues so that, within twenty‑four weeks, the client correctly identifies others’ basic emotional states and conversational turn‑taking signals in 90 percent of structured video‑based assessments and reports a 40 percent reduction in misinterpretation incidents in natural settings.
The clinician will dedicate portions of sessions to micro‑teaching segments on facial‑action coding and proxemics, using slow‑motion video clips to highlight subtle shifts in gaze and posture. The client will complete a weekly digital “Emotion Recognition Quiz” hosted in the Therapy Portal and receive instant corrective feedback. Supplementary expert videos by neuroscientist Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett will deepen understanding of constructed emotion theory. An audio grounding practice will help the client stay present in social environments, reducing cognitive overload. Handouts include a visual atlas of common facial expressions, while worksheets prompt the client to observe and record social cues in real‑world settings such as classrooms or cafés. Quenza will deliver the “Mindful Observation” pathway, guiding the client through daily five‑minute silent observations of group interactions and inviting reflections on what cues signaled comfort or disengagement. Outcome will be measured by improvements on the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test and reductions in self‑reported misunderstandings, aligning with research indicating that systematic cue‑recognition training enhances social competence and self‑confidence.