The process of psychotherapy is essentially a means of helping patients to help themselves. As such, psychotherapy is not limited to the relatively brief in-session consultation time with the practitioner. Rather, patients' engagement in therapeutic activities between sessions has become an important part of the therapy process. Such activities, often termed 'homework', are central to ensuring that therapeutic goals are reached.

The Handbook of Homework in Psychotherapy is the first resource for the practicing clinician that addresses the role of homework across major therapeutic paradigms and complex clinical problems. It opens with a series of practice-orientated chapters on the role of homework in different psychotherapies (acceptance and commitment, client-centered, constructivist, cognitive-behavioral, experiential, family, interpersonal, psychodynamic) written by an international team of expert psychotherapy practitioner-researchers. Then, experienced practitioners present strategies, examples, and formulated assignments for use with different populations (couples, families, older adults) and complex problems (chronic depression, chronic pain, eating disorders, obsessions and compulsions, personality disorders, psychosis, sexual dysfunction, substance abuse, traumatic brain injury). The Handbook closes with three chapters by leading psychotherapy theoreticians, researchers, and practitioners that critique the available research evidence for homework, integrate the recommendations for using homework in practice, and also provide directions for homework's role in prevention.

Each chapter presents:

• A brief overview of the approach
• Review of existing empirical support
• Recommendations for practice
• Illustration of homework's role in practice and prevention through detailed case studies

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• Individualized use of homework, rather than a collection of "one-size-fits-all" assignments

Novice and seasoned psychotherapists from all training backgrounds will find useful ideas in this volume. The Handbook ably complements many current teaching psychotherapy texts in graduate and residency programs by offering real-world expertise in a core feature of therapy. Researchers, too, will find new insights on the value of between- session assignments and future directions for study as our understanding of homework's role in psychotherapy continues to evolve.

Nikolaos Kazantzis, Ph.D., is faculty member at the School of Psychology, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand. He has published widely on the topic of homework assignments in psychotherapy, including serving as a Guest Editor for special issues on this topic in the journals IN SESSION: Journal of Clinical Psychology (2002), Journal of Psychotherapy Integration (2006), and Cognitive and Behavioral Practice (2006). He has co-authored more than 40 articles and book chapters and has participated in national and international conferences related to his research interests. He is also a recipient of the Royal Society of New Zealand Science and Technology Award for Beginning Scientists, The Australian Association for Cognitive Behavior Therapy's (AACBT) Tracy Goodall Early Career Award, and Massey University's Research Medal Early Career. Dr. Kazantzis is a licensed (registered) clinical psychologist and maintains a part-time practice in Auckland, New Zealand.

 Luciano L'Abate, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Georgia State University, Georgia, Atlanta, USA where he was Director of the Family Psychology Training Program and the Family Study Center. He completed his Ph.D., at Duke University, with post-doctoral specialization at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago. He worked in the Psychiatry Departments of Washington (St. Louis) and Emory (Atlanta) Universities Schools of Medicine before moving to Georgia State University, where he spent his entire academic career. He was in part-time private and consulting and clinical practice for 42 years. He has published (author, co-author, edited, and co-edited) 37 books, 3 are in press, as well as over 250 papers in scientific and professional journals.