EP90 Panel 03 - Homework Assignments - Arnold Lazarus, PhD; Cloe Madanes, Lic. Psychol.; Mara Selvini Palazzoli, MD; Jeffrey Zeig, PhD
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- Not yet rated
- Topic Areas:
- Topical Panels | Homework | Psychotherapy | Behavioral Therapy | Ericksonian Hypnosis and Therapy Techniques | Experiential Therapy | Strategic Therapy
- Categories:
- Evolution of Psychotherapy | Evolution of Psychotherapy 1990 | Pioneers in Couples and Family Therapy
- Faculty:
- Arnold Lazarus, Ph.D. | Cloe Madanes, HDL, LIC | Mara Selvini Palazzoli, MD | Jeffrey Zeig, PhD
- Duration:
- 59 Minutes
- Format:
- Audio Only
- Original Program Date:
- Dec 12, 1990
- License:
- Never Expires.
Description
Description:
Educational Objectives:
- To compare and contrast clinical and philosophical perspectives of experts.
*Sessions may be edited for content and to preserve confidentiality*
Outline:
Introduction and Panel Format
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Conference: 1990 Evolution of Psychotherapy in Anaheim, CA.
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Panelists: Arnold Lazarus, Cloe Madanes, Mara Selvini Palazzoli, Jeff Zeig.
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Focus: Homework assignments in therapy—brief talks, followed by discussion.
Arnold Lazarus on Behavioral Homework
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Stresses action-based (not just cognitive) change through homework.
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In-vivo tasks help bridge therapy and real-life behavior.
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Non-compliance isn’t always resistance—could be due to poor fit, unclear value, or poor therapist-patient relationship.
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Examples: woman practicing accepting compliments; teen forgetting to invite father to therapy.
Cloe Madanes on Creative, Symbolic Assignments
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Inspired by Ericksonian strategies.
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Wife abuse case: husband deposits money into joint account as a deterrent.
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Sibling conflict: reward good sibling when other misbehaves.
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Violent couple: cut and bury hair to symbolically end their past.
Mara Selvini Palazzoli on Structured Research Assignments
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Used identical assignments in families with psychotic children to observe patterns.
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Common dynamics: embroilment, misplaced affection, constant investigation.
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Understanding family patterns is key to directing therapy effectively.
Jeff Zeig on Hypnotic and Paradoxical Assignments
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Categories: post-hypnotic, paradoxical, straightforward, symbolic.
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Examples:
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Mother turns chores into a family game.
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Phobic patient imagines therapist at exit signs for comfort.
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Abused woman writes letter to abuser, which helps shift her perspective.
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Addressing Compliance and Relevance
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Lazarus: Compliance is a widespread issue, even with medical regimens.
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Homework must feel relevant, meaningful, and be agreed upon.
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Panelists agree: tailor tasks to client needs and therapeutic goals.
Panel Reflections
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Palazzoli: Refusal to do homework may reflect deeper family dysfunction.
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Lazarus: Therapist must negotiate relevance and clarity.
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Madanes: Sometimes restarts, pleads, or revises assignment to fit better.
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Consensus: Success hinges more on engagement and understanding than blind compliance.
Credits
Faculty
Arnold Lazarus, Ph.D. Related Seminars and Products
Arnold A. Lazarus, Ph.D., was Distinguished Professor at the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University. Lazarus served on the editorial boards of ten professional journals. He was president of the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy and received the Distinguished Service to The Profession of Psychology Award from the American Board of Professional Psychology. His Ph.D. was granted in 1960 from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. He has authored four books; co-authored, edited, or co-edited seven; and authoered or co-authoered more than 150 professional papers and chapters.
Cloe Madanes, HDL, LIC Related Seminars and Products
Cloé Madanes, HDL, LIC, is a world-renowned innovator and teacher of family and strategic therapy and one of the originators of the strategic approach to family therapy. She has authored seven books that are classics in the field: Strategic Family Therapy; Behind the One-Way Mirror; Sex, Love and Violence; The Violence of Men; The Secret Meaning of Money; The Therapist as Humanist, Social Activist and Systemic Thinker; and Relationship Breakthrough. She has presented her work at professional conferences all over the world and has given keynote addresses for The Evolution of Psychotherapy Conference, the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy; the National Association of Social Workers, The Erickson Foundation, the California Psychological Association and many other national and international conferences. Madanes has won several awards for distinguished contribution to psychology and has counseled outstanding individuals from all walks of life.
Mara Selvini Palazzoli, MD Related Seminars and Products
Mara Selvini Palazzoli, MD, received her MD from the UNiversity of Milan in 1941. She was Director of the New Center for Family Therapy in Milan, and also served on a number of editorial boards. The recipient of the Distinguished Contribution to Research in Family Therapy award from the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, she was the author or coauthor of five books, primarily on her approach to understanding and treating families.
Jeffrey Zeig, PhD Related Seminars and Products
Jeffrey K. Zeig, PhD, is the Founder and Director of the Milton H. Erickson Foundation and is president of Zeig, Tucker & Theisen, Inc., publishers in the behavioral sciences. He has edited, co-edited, authored or coauthored more than 20 books on psychotherapy that appear in twelve foreign languages. Dr. Zeig is a psychologist and marriage and family therapist in private practice in Phoenix, Arizona.