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EP95 Panel 13 - Homework Assignments - Claudia Black, PhD; Jay Haley, MA; Arnold Lazarus, PhD; Joseph LoPiccolo, PhD


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Topic Areas:
Topical Panels |  Homework |  Therapist Development |  Psychotherapy |  Intervention Strategies |  Therapist Techniques
Categories:
Evolution of Psychotherapy |  Evolution of Psychotherapy 1995
Faculty:
Claudia Black, PhD |  Jay Haley, MA |  Arnold Lazarus, Ph.D. |  Joseph LoPiccolo, PhD
Duration:
57 Minutes
Format:
Audio Only
Original Program Date:
Dec 16, 1995
License:
Never Expires.



Description

Description:

Educational Objectives:

  1. To compare and contrast clinical and philosophical perspectives of experts.  

*Sessions may be edited for content and to preserve confidentiality*

Outline:

Introduction

  • Moderator Bernhard Trenkle introduces the session.

  • Claudia Black shares her focus on addiction and the importance of involving family members in treatment.

  • Notes growing emphasis on homework in clinical practice, including its use as a metric by managed care reviewers.

Claudia Black: Homework in Addiction Therapy

  • Homework should be goal-oriented and tied to session content.

  • Clients must agree on its value and feel safe completing it—especially those in crisis.

  • Examples: journaling, feeling logs, decision-making exercises, anger management tasks.

  • Sentence stem prompts help with boundaries and guilt.

  • Emotional work must support behavior change.

Jay Haley: Directives vs. Homework

  • Prefers the term “directives” to avoid negative associations.

  • Therapy is inherently influential, and directives help deepen client-therapist dynamics.

  • Shares an example using a behavior log before a single session.

  • Directives build intensity in family therapy.

Arnold Lazarus: Compliance and Creativity

  • Emphasizes the importance of client education and practice between sessions.

  • Avoids the term "homework" but stresses its value.

  • Uses compliance techniques, like asking clients to rate their likelihood of completing tasks.

  • Advocates for meaningful assignments and paradoxical interventions.

Joe LoPiccolo: Sex Therapy and Resistance

  • Customizes assignments based on client feedback and needs.

  • Stresses addressing underlying traumas and motivations, not just techniques.

  • Uses paradoxical interventions to manage resistance, such as involving the partner in treatment.

  • Warns against over-reliance on technology; prefers holistic, tailored approaches.

Audience Q&A

  • Question raised on when to avoid homework.

  • Claudia gives example of instructing a client to stop compulsive behavior as homework.

  • Lazarus and Haley stress the importance of explaining why assignments are used.

  • Panel agrees on need for flexibility, customization, and clear rationale in assigning tasks.

Credits



Faculty

Claudia Black, PhD's Profile

Claudia Black, PhD Related Seminars and Products


Claudia Black, Ph.D., is internationally recognized for her pioneering and cutting-edge work with family systems and addictive disorders. Her work with children impacted by drug and alcohol addiction in the late 1970s fueled the advancement of the codependency and developmental trauma fields. Dr. Black’s passion to help young adults overcome obstacles and strengthen families built the foundation of the Claudia Black Young Adult Center. Not only is Dr. Black the clinical architect of this groundbreaking treatment program, she is also actively involved with the treatment team, patients, and their families.

Claudia is the author of It Will Never Happen To Me, Changing Course, My Dad Loves Me, My Dad Has A Disease, Repeat After Me, It's Never Too Late To Have A Happy Childhood, Relapse Toolkit, A Hole in the Sidewalk, Depression Strategies, Straight Talk, The Stamp Game, Family Strategies, Anger Strategies, Deceived: Facing Sexual Betrayal, Lies and Secrets, The Truth Begins With Youand her newest title, Intimate Treason: Healing the Trauma for Partners Confronting Sex Addiction. She has produced seven audio CDs addressing issues of addiction and recovery. They are A Time for Healing, Putting the Past Behind, Triggers, Emotional Baggage, Trauma in the Addicted Family, Imageries and Letting Go Imageries. She also has over 20 DVDs for professionals to use working with families and clients.


Jay Haley, MA's Profile

Jay Haley, MA Related Seminars and Products


Jay Haley (M.A., 1953, Stanford University) was Director of Family Therapy Institute of Washington, D.C. He was one of the leading exponents of the strategic/interpersonal approach to family therapy. Haley served as Director of the Family Experiment Project at the Mental Research Institute and as Director of Family Therapy Research at the Philadelphia Child Guidance Clinic. He has authoered seven books, co-authored two and edited five. Additionally, he has more than 40 contributions to professional journals and books. Haley is the former editor of Family Process, and the first recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award of The Milton H. Erickson Foundation.


Arnold Lazarus, Ph.D.'s Profile

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.


Joseph LoPiccolo, PhD's Profile

Joseph LoPiccolo, PhD Related Seminars and Products


Joseph LoPiccolo (born 1943) is an American psychologist and sex researcher who focuses on female sexual response.[1] He coauthored the self-help book Becoming Orgasmic with Julia Heiman and served on the Subcommittee on Sexual Dysfunctions for the DSM-III-R. He is Professor Emeritus of Psychological Sciences at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, where previously served as Chair of the department.


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