The purpose for assigning homework is to get the client participating in their own healing between sessions. Adding homework to a healing program can make your job easier.
Why homework?
Assigning a homework assignment gives you a way to empower your clients. You can use it to give your clients tools and techniques that they can use on their own. Homework can also help to accelerate the client’s healing. This will give them more bang for their therapeutic buck. That's a good thing, right?
Homework assignments can also empower you. For example, a homework assignment can be used to track the results between sessions. This can give you the information you need to know what the next best step in the client’s program needs to be.
Benefits of Assigning Homework
- Empower your clients
- Accelerate the healing process
- Test the results between sessions
- Set up for the next session
Is homework right for every client?
Not every client is going to be willing to do homework. We need to respect that. Some clients don’t want to anything more than show up for the session. They’re busy. Their focus is primarily on external stuff. As a result, they don’t have much of an inner life. That’s part of the problem. They’ve become disconnected from their inner life.
They don’t really understand how their own Mind might be creating the problem, in the first place. That’s okay. This information will be revealed through the healing process. But before you offer a client a homework assignment, take a pulse on their attitude by asking the client how they feel about doing “a little homework.”
If they’re resistant to the idea, let it go.
If the client is not interested in participating in their own healing between sessions, they’ll tend to forget their assignment, anyway. This will only frustrate you. And it can set the client up for feeling guilty because they may interpret that as a failure. That’s just not helpful.
When's the best time to assign homework?
The best time to assign homework really depends on the client. Ideally, you want your client to be a willing participant - both during and between sessions. That's your ideal client.
The client's willingness can give you a lot of mileage in terms of the results. Why? Because they're highly motivated. When a client is ready, willing and able to participate between session you'll get better results and much more quickly.
Find the best fit for the client.
- Come up with an assignment that is a fit for the client.
- Make sure it’s based on their issue and personal lifestyle.
- Use it in a way that supports the client in getting the results
Simple, right?
Learn more in the Ready for Regression Complete First Session System course.
Hypnotherapist
