ABSTRACT
Sometimes, even when ‘homework’ contracts have been carefully planned and negotiated, the client does not complete them, or reports that the task was not helpful. Any homework needs to be clearly linked to some kind of therapeutic objective in line with the client's goals, the current areas of focus in the therapy and the intended trajectory of therapy. The most common reasons given for non-completion are the client reporting that they either forgot or ‘didn’t have the time’. The therapist is advised to maintain a spirit of enquiry and curiosity and acceptance towards the client's ambivalence and to invite the client into exploration of their ambivalence. It is unlikely that ambivalence or resistance will be resolved in one session, and will often need revisiting many times throughout the course of the therapy. This is particularly true for clients with complex problems or those with personality disorders or problems of a characterological nature.
