ABSTRACT
The main manuals on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for psychosis all make reference to the benefit of using homework assignments (Kingdon & Turkington, 1994; Fowler, Garety, & Kuipers, 1995; Chadwick, Birchwood, & Trower, 1996; Haddock & Slade, 1996; Nelson, 1997; Morrison, 2002). In common with CBT for other disorders, the rationale for using homework assignments as an integral part of treatment is fourfold: (a) it helps to ensure that the work done within the therapy session is relevant to the patient’s problems and experiences in their life outside the session; (b) it allows strategies devised within therapy sessions to be tested in and adapted to daily living situations; (c) it substantially increases the amount of time per week that the patient is actively engaged in therapy; and (d) it helps to develop the patient to be her own therapist, who can respond flexibly and adaptively to new situations as they arise.
