Homework in Therapy

By: Veronica Salcido-Rodriguez, AMFT 109425

You may have just read that and said “Homework! What am I in school?” Well, you may or may not be enrolled in school but yes, homework is a very important part of therapy and a part that I emphasize in sessions. Therapy is typically 50 minutes and sessions are held once a week. To help with the progress of therapy you may have homework assigned to help strengthen and reinforce strategies discussed in the session. So, during that week you must engage in the homework because it helps build the skills and emphasizes the progress of therapy.

The great thing is that the homework is for your benefit and I feel that most of the homework assigned can be pretty fun (or that might just be the therapist in me talking). Homework may involve doing things that you like and self-care activities, it maybe is exercise-related to help create a positive mood, or it can be stating positive affirmations to help build self-esteem and positive feelings. It may be mindfulness or journaling. Some of the homework may be more simple¬, some may take some time, or maybe difficult. The homework is usually dependent on where you are at and what you may need, so you might or might not be assigned any homework for the week. Each homework assigned is designated to fit your needs and I feel that the general feedback about the homework is that it is beneficial to the person completing it.