Cognitive Therapy Homework

Importance of Homework in Cognitive Therapy

Psychoeducation and bibliotherapy are powerful aids in Cognitive Therapy, with homework central to this form of therapy. If you don’t do your homework in CBT, you can’t expect positive results. The most important work in therapy does not come within the therapy session, but by reflecting upon what has happened and been discussed in the counselling session.

The cognitive model of therapy places an emphasis on psychoeducation of the patient regarding his or her fundamental assumptions and the approach to be utilized in therapy. Thus, the therapist may indicate to the patient in the first session of therapy that they are going to focus on what the patient is consciously thinking and doing currently, how he or she can look at things differently and behave differently, and how self-help homework between sessions will allow the generalization of the gains in the session. In addition, bibliotherapy is a frequent component of cognitive therapy, with therapists providing information sheets on various problems or recommendations of books to read to help guide the patient through the process.

Leahy, R. (2017). In Cognitive therapy techniques a practitioner’s guide. p4, The Guilford Press.

Homework in CBT with Gerald

If you become a client of ourse - either online or in Nelson - completing your homework will be required in order to stay in therapy. Why? Because without doing your homework, you won’t progress in therapy, so there would be no reason to continue. If you want to get better using CBT, you will need to do your homework between therapy sessions!