Using Homework in Psychotherapy: Strategies, Guidelines, and Forms [Paperback]

Michael A. Tompkins Phd (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1593850492 | ISBN-13: 978-1593850494 | Publication Date: July 5, 2004 | Edition: 1

A step-by-step guide for therapists who want to start implementing homework or to increase the effectiveness of assignments, this hands-on book is ideal for clinicians from any theoretical orientation. Presented are creative strategies for developing meaningful homework assignments, enhancing compliance, and overcoming typical homework obstacles. Nearly 50 reproducible forms are featured along with detailed recommendations for using them to accomplish five broad therapeutic goals: increasing awareness, scheduling activities, improving emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness, and testing assumptions. Also provided are tips for working with special populations, including adolescents, older adults, couples, and clients with severe depression or anxiety. Bursting with helpful tools, tips, and examples, the volume is designed in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" format with lay-flat binding for ease of photocopying.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Tompkins's book is a gift to novice and seasoned clinicians alike, offering a rich array of strategies to improve the effectiveness of homework assignments and increase client compliance. The text seamlessly integrates theory, research, and clinical practice, and is punctuated with vignettes, illustrative case examples, and many useful handouts and forms. Tompkins writes in an inviting style that is both engaging and educational. He takes readers step by step through the homework process so they can tailor psychotherapy to the unique circumstances of their particular clients, and his attention to ethnocultural and developmental issues is commendable. This is a rich resource for practicing clinicians, instructors, and graduate students."--Robert D. Friedberg, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, Penn State Milton Hershey Medical Center/Penn State College of Medicine

"An entire book on homework? Fantastic idea! This book does a fabulous job of detailing the nuts and bolts of the effective use of homework in psychotherapy. It is accessible to therapists of all orientations. The writing is clear and direct. Therapists who read this book will find that its message translates directly into clinical skills and interventions that have been shown in controlled studies to be tied to improved client outcomes."--Jacqueline B. Persons, PhD, San Francisco Bay Area Center for Cognitive Therapy and University of California, Berkeley

"Adhering to his own admonition that 'vagueness is the Achilles' heel of homework,' Tompkins has written one of the most specific, down-to-earth, and practical texts I have ever read. With thorough explanations, helpful guidelines, and illustrative case examples, Tompkins invites the reader to see how homework can help with any clinical problem."--Hanna Levenson, PhD, Levenson Institute for Training (LIFT), San Francisco, California

"This book fills a critical gap in the psychotherapy literature. Clearly written and well illustrated with numerous clinical examples, this book should prove very valuable to both mental health professionals and students. Dr. Tompkins expertly explains how to collaboratively design effective homework assignments for patients and clients of all ages with a wide range of psychiatric disorders and psychological problems--and how to dramatically increase the likelihood that patients will carry out their assignments and learn from them."--Judith S. Beck, PhD, Beck Institute for Cognitive Therapy and Research and University of Pennsylvania

"This is the most comprehensive and helpful guide available for assuring that your clients will get the most benefit out of therapy homework. Tompkins provides a three-step approach that can be used with all homework assignments. Specific suggestions on how to structure homework to fit the client and the problem, secure compliance, and review the homework will prove to be invaluable to clinicians at all levels of experience. The book includes details on helping clients use behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and interpersonal self-help strategies, and on anticipating and overcoming roadblocks. The appendices are a virtual treasure trove of self-report forms that clinicians can use to evaluate clients and tailor homework to almost any imaginable problem. This book will help supplement other therapy treatment manuals and will serve as an important reference tool for clinicians."--Robert L. Leahy, PhD, American Institute for Cognitive Therapy, New York City

About the Author

Michael A. Tompkins, PhD, is the Director of Professional Training at the San Francisco Bay Area Center for Cognitive Therapy, Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and a Founding Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. He is in private practice in Oakland, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 286 pages
• Publisher: The Guilford Press; 1 edition (July 5, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593850492
• ISBN-13: 978-1593850494
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #846,318 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael A. Tompkins, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist and author or co-author of numerous articles and chapters on cognitive-behavior therapy and related topics, as well as four books including, OCD: A Guide for the Newly Diagnosed (New Harbinger, 2012); My Anxious Mind: A Teen's Guide to Managing Anxiety and Panic (with Katherine Martinez) (Magination Press/American Psychological Association, 2009); and Digging Out: Helping Your Loved One Manage Cutter, Hoarding, and Compulsive Acquiring (with Tamara L. Hartl) (New Harbinger, 2009).

http://www.sfbacct.com San Francisco Bay Area Center for Cognitive Therapy

He is a founding partner of the San Francisco Bay Area Center for Cognitive Therapy, Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and a Diplomate and Founding Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. He is a member of the San Francisco Task Force on Hoarding and has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and on television (The Learning Channel, Arts & Entertainment, KTVU) and radio (KQED, KPFA). Dr. Tompkins has presented internationally on the topic of cognitive-behavior therapy, compulsive hoarding, and other topics.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What's CBT without Homework? Great Book!, February 18, 2009

By 

L. T. Shallcross - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Using Homework in Psychotherapy: Strategies, Guidelines, and Forms (Paperback)

Very helpful book that I often use with my supervisees during supervision. Dr. Tompkins gives excellent examples of how to use homework effectively using Cognitive Behavioral Theapy. He also answered many of my questions about using homework with anxious, depressed, and angry individuals.

5.0 out of 5 stars Homework Promotes Behavioral Health, May 3, 2009

By 

Paul R. Munford, Ph.D. - See all my reviews

This review is from: Using Homework in Psychotherapy: Strategies, Guidelines, and Forms (Paperback)

As a behavioral psychologist, who routinely gives homework assignments, I am most pleased to see Using Homework in Psychotherapy. Its organization, breadth, and nuggets of gold have enhanced my ability to design assignments that clients actually complete. They even record data critical for assessing treatment progress using forms, for children and adults, that cover 48 variables of interest to clinicians of any orientation. Tompkins did his homework which deserves an A+.