When beginning a client treatment plan, you must start with priorities and serous areas that need to be dealt with immediately. Some examples are:

1. Clients who need medical attention
2. Clients who have physical needs
3. Clients who are alcoholic and who must be detoxified before further treatment.

Another area to consider is the client's motivations toward the task or situation. It is helpful to start with small goals to motivate the client and help him/or her to feel a sense of accomplishment. Also, there must be an appropriate environment for the client to be in for treatment. If the client is in treatment for alcoholism, then the best treatment setting would be an inpatient facility to allow the client to detox.

The projected treatment time must also be determined. The counselor should discuss short and long-term goals, along with the time-frame in which to accomplish these goals. All of these treatment goals should be chosen with the client. In this stage of planning, both the counselor and the client should discuss all the areas they believe need to be addressed and then agree upon a treatment plan to achieve these goals. This is also where the support and cooperation of significant others comes into play. It is the duty of the counselor to actively enlist the aid of the client's immediate family members as well as determine if there are any family members or close friends who may have a negative influence on the client.