It is an all-too-common experience that we attend our first therapy session, and due to media representation and our own preconceived notions, we expect the session to just be a chance to talk and nothing else. Which can make receiving homework tasks to complete between sessions confusing. So why do we use them?
Firstly, what is homework in the therapy context? Homework refers to the activities completed between sessions. There are many different types of homework that your psychologist may assign you depending on your presenting concern(s). Examples include worksheets, journaling, activity scheduling, coping strategies, and grounding techniques.
Now, why is homework important, can’t we just do these activities in the session?
The short answer is no, not if we want therapy to be effective!
Homework activities, such as activity schedules and worksheets, provide integral insights to your psychologist about your unique presentation, day-to-day life, and progress.
When we look at other fields of allied health support such as physiotherapy, it is easy to understand why completing different exercises between sessions is more effective than only completing them during a weekly or fortnightly physio session. When we engage in our physio exercises regularly, we may experience improvements in mobility, strength, and pain management. Therapeutic exercises are very similar.
Additionally, practice makes progress. When learning any skill continued practice allows us to build and hone our skills. Think about it this way, if we waited until the day of our football game to learn how to kick or catch a ball, we probably wouldn’t play very effectively. Regularly engaging in therapeutic exercises between sessions can improve our skills in the same way. Waiting until we are experiencing a panic attack to implement a new therapy strategy is like showing up to a football game without ever kicking a ball! Regularly practicing our therapy strategies such as coping skills in different moods, environments, and states of regulation will significantly support our overall progress.
What improvements can we expect to see if we regularly engage with our therapy homework?
- Increased understanding and recollection of the skill – meaning that we can complete the skill without relying on written scripts, instructions, or visual reminders.
- Increased reflection and self-awareness – meaning that we can work together to determine what homework activities are most effective and practical for you and tailor the overall intervention approach to best meet your unique needs.
- Increased ease of use – meaning that it is easier to implement the new skill and likely increasing the efficacy of the skill when you need it most (like in that football game!).
Overall, therapeutic homework activities act as our practice to ensure progress!
Remember, while therapy homework activities are a key part of the therapeutic process, they shouldn’t feel like a monotonous work task or cause mental fatigue. If you are experiencing this, it is important to inform your psychologist that the current tasks aren’t working for you. This honesty allows us to ensure that the tasks are tailored to you and continue to support you to reach your therapy goals.
If you are interested in support to reach your therapy goals, contact the caring team at Breakfree Psychology Services. If you would like to schedule an appointment or simply speak with someone before getting started, feel free to reach out to us at 0479 149 277 or submit an online enquiry.