What kind of homework does your therapist give you?

[UnicornSightings]

I have to think of my own and I'm curious!

 

[Kintsugi]

Zero. Homework is a joke to us. My T offers to give it to me when I need a laugh.

I did have homework before, though, that usually centered around workbooks.

 

[UnicornSightings]

I've rarely had any because I never wanted any but I'm planning out some new goals and want to keep things focused between sessions. I hate workbooks. She's a fan of worksheets but rarely offers them because I hate worksheets so very, very much.

So far I've come up with yoga and journaling a little bit about it each day.

Maybe also writing a letter of compassion to myself each week on random things or something I'm being hard on myself for in session.

 

[Kintsugi]

You could always try doing The Happiness Challenge:

Open Challenge, The Happiness Advantage Starting April 1st

And also (just to say, it's been done a lot here)

Happiness Challenge Round 2 May 7th
Happiness Challenge Round 3 - Starting June 1
Happiness Challenge Round 4. July 1 2013

 

[Tornadic Thoughts]

I'm not given homework, but I like to challenge myself at times by creating some and appreciate the accountability factor that often helps keep me focused. My mileage varies depending on the week.

Hmmmm...maybe instead of the broad yoga expectation, highlight a different pose each week, or cluster of poses, or maybe throw in some tai chi or qi gong from you tube university, and maybe add some additional breathing exercises with some visualization of favorite spaces and such. Switch up the space you practice in, if feasible? Outdoors, etc.

Maybe your journal could also include making a point to notice three specific things in nature each day...if that gets old, look for three heart shaped things in nature, three blue things in nature, etc., or if you live in the city, maybe find three purple hats, three folks wearing headphones, etc.

Maybe commit to dancing to at least one song a day and journal about which one you picked and how you felt before and after.

One thing I like to do at times is make note of how many different animals I see within a day and will later look up the spirit totem meanings. That stuff fascinates me. If I can commit to something I enjoy, I'm more likely to follow through, which is why I like to creatively create my own homework. lol Have fun with it every chance you get.

 

[Suzetig]

None, I'm proactive and work on myself between sessions but she wouldn't dream of trying to direct that or give me homework. Like @Simply Simon the idea of homework is something we joke about. It works for some people but not for me.

 

[digger]

My therapist doesn't give me homework either. (Wouldn't want her to)

That doesn't mean I don't work on stuff between sessions. I do. A lot. And sometimes my T might suggest things that might be helpful to try or to look at, but that's it.

I can see where with some modalities of therapy where you're following a set program or structure where it might be appropriate, but not for the way I work with my T.

 

[anthony]

Every person with PTSD should be doing self-help between sessions, and ongoing, especially if you want to get better. The more you devour and educate yourself, work on your own problems, the better you become over the years. Reliance on therapy alone is moronic IMHO... you will be struggling for decades / the rest of your life, when you don't need to be.

 

[UnicornSightings]

Thank you everyone! Yes, I do a lot of work on my own and I have for the past 2 years. The idea of homework is my own, to get the most out of my therapy. I feel like I waste a lot of time there sometimes. So to have some consistent things we work on on a continuous basis. My idea for yoga was because thoughts and feelings come up for me during my practice and is a big reason why I avoid yoga at times. And it's body-focused, being in the present moment, and also would be part of my goal to follow-through/stick with things. She occasionally had me do some free writing about a certain topic which I also like. It would be good for me to focus on the work in therapy rather than let my thoughts focus so much on the therapeutic relationship. I have a tendency to spin-out with those thoughts with the transference.

 

[UnicornSightings]

I'm not given homework, but I like to challenge myself at times by creating some and apprecia...

Btw I look up animal totems, too. ;)

 

[NightSky]

I am regularly reading books my T suggests and taking notes to bring to session with me. We also have done some workbooks. I don't like them, but I do appreciate how they keep the process moving forward and open up areas I wouldn't think to talk about. Often things come up during the week and I lose momentum but they are always there for me to return to between sessions.

 

[Nessa7]

I did a self-care challenge back in September that I thought was helpful. I might actually do it again, because I need to get a routine going again. I linked the last week because it has links to all the other weeks.

Link Removed