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How to Easily Send Counseling Homework to Clients

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Homework is one of the most influential factors in counseling success. Assigning short exercises is a powerful strategy to help clients gain insight into their experiences. It also helps them work through processing their emotions outside of sessions. A small amount of homework can have a huge impact on your counseling practice. We’ve outlined how to send counseling homework to clients and keep them on track, even outside of office hours.

The Importance of Homework

Research has shown that counseling clients who complete homework assignments are more engaged and empowered in their therapy process, experiencing better treatment outcomes. In most cases, clients use homework to apply what they have learned in therapy, reflect on their progress, and practice new skills in the context of their day-to-day. However, counselors can always tailor homework to fit each individual client and their unique counselling goals. 

The Switch to Digital

As the world moves further away from in-person services and towards an online-first practice, online homework is both a necessity and a convenience. A study found that when Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) homework was assigned digitally, clients working through substance abuse saw significantly increased positive outcomes. Digital homework apps offer a whole host of benefits that traditional pen and paper just can’t.

  • The convenience and accessibility to keep counseling goals top of mind
  • There’s no need to come into the office to pick up homework. If a client is ready to move on, they can simply choose activities from their personal device
  • Clients can complete homework in a comfortable environment on their own time

The Benefits of Digital Homework for Counselors 

It’s not just clients who love the convenience of a digital homework app — counselors also use it to modernize their practice and elevate the client experience.

  • Create and customize digital activities that can be assigned to multiple clients. Save time and help a wider scope of your practice 
  • Follow up with clients through an easy-to-use instant messenger that’s safe, private, and more convenient than texting with your personal number 
  • Track and look back on client progress
  • Added security benefits such as HIPAA compliance
  • No need to file and manage paper documents

A digital homework app like Therachat is one of the simplest ways to save time and help clients reach their goals even faster. It also fosters better communication and therefore a stronger client-counselor relationship — one of the clearest predictors of counseling success. Clients who feel comfortable and connected to their therapists are more likely to disclose important information. This is important for insights into their mental health progress. 

Counseling Homework Made Simple

With the convenience of counseling technology right on our devices, there’s never been a better time for you to integrate digital tools into your practice. Homework is an integral part of therapy, helping clients implement newly learned skills into their everyday life. It’s an easy way to stay connected to clients, keeping them engaged and on track between sessions. It also opens a critical relationship-boosting channel for communication between you and your clients. 

Homework empowers counselors with a deep understanding of a client’s progress throughout treatment, allowing them to adjust their approach if necessary. Like everything else, results come with consistent and steady progress. The sooner you start to send counseling homework to clients, the sooner you and your clients can enjoy the benefits that come with a regular homework routine. Therachat makes it easy to deliver homework to your clients, track their progress, and communicate securely and professionally. See the benefits of Therachat for clinicians.

4 Homework Exercises to Assign Clients Between Counseling Sessions

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Assigning homework exercises for counseling clients is one of the best ways to keep them on track and consistently working toward their goals. Studies have found that there is a positive correlation between homework compliance and therapy outcomes. Overall, greater homework compliance is associated with improved treatment outcomes. There are many forms of positive homework exercises to assign — every client is different and may enjoy certain exercises over others. Work through them together to find what.

Journaling or Other Forms of Writing

Journaling is known to lead to increased positivity, reduced stress and anxiety, and a generally pleasant outlook on life. With the help of a counselor, clients can take advantage of these benefits and create positive new daily habits. Start slow and small to slowly build up the habit. 

Assign readings

Knowledge is indeed power! Assigning readings between sessions can equip clients with the tools to better understand themselves, and their symptoms, or learn new coping skills to practice. This also opens space for counselor-client conversations. Review readings together to create common ground to build a strong foundation of trust and understanding. 

Encourage novel experiences 

Guide clients to build confidence and self-trust by encouraging them to go out into the world and seek new experiences. The novelty keeps things interesting, while also showing clients first-hand that they’re capable of putting themselves out there. Another perk: new experiences slow down time and create a healthy break in client schedules — leading to hope and excitement for the future. 

This could look like: 

  • Trying a new hobby 
  • Joining a club
  • Volunteering 
  • Getting involved in community programs 
  • Attending social events 

Instilling New Habits 

Try assigning clients small steps between sessions to build a new healthy habit. Breaking the goal into smaller pieces makes the habit attainable while creating points of contact to check in together. Over time, clients gain the confidence to work towards bigger, more daunting habits. 

Boost Homework Compliance Between Sessions

The most important component of homework is consistency and compliance. Keeping clients on track between sessions ensures continued goal motivation and success. A digital homework app like Therachat allows counselors and clients to work together, build trust, and maintain consistency. Clients are empowered to check in however it feels best for them with features like daily homework reminders, skill-building activities, emotion tracking, and mindfulness exercises.

How Counselors Can Support Parents Struggling With Mental Health

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When a parent is struggling with their mental health, it can be hard on the entire family dynamic — particularly on the parent-child relationship. As the parent does their best to keep things afloat and avoid showing that they’re not doing their best, this can leave the child confused and feeling that something is off. It’s helpful for parents to navigate tough moments and feelings with a counselor by their side — someone to lean on, and offer support and guidance. However, supporting a parent comes with its own challenges. They lead busy lives with packed schedules, making it difficult to book appointments as much as counselors would like to.

Here’s how counselors can support parents between sessions, and at a distance. 

Assign Homework

Assigning homework between sessions allows parents to keep their mental health top of mind in their day-to-day lives. The assigned task brings their focus back on their progress and creates a better chance that they’ll keep up with regular sessions. 

Benefits of homework: 

  • Give clients control over their wellness: Completing a homework assignment reminds them of their goals and what they are working towards
  • Strengthen the counselor-client relationship: Creating a space for discussion of your progress, results, and needed changes fosters a healthy, open conversation between counsellors and their clients 
  • Makes progress tracking a breeze: Homework creates an anchor for clients to begin tracking their progress. It’s also a fantastic tool to look back on to see how far they’ve come

Help Parents Define Moments of Self-Care

Yes, parents are immensely busy taking care of their children and families. However, there are moments in the day when they can sneak in self-care, even if it’s just a few minutes. Maybe it’s taking 5 minutes to read before bed or a few deep breaths before picking up the kids from school. A few self-care moments sprinkled throughout the day can lift mood, and bring the focus back on their mental wellness — keeping it top of mind between sessions. 

Counselors Can Support Parents With a Digital Homework App

It’s important to keep up with busy clients between sessions to maintain growth and ensure homework compliance. Research has found that counselors who don’t consistently follow up on homework assignments are less likely to generate patient regard for the activity. It’s all too easy for patients to forget about homework or put it off when out of the office — especially for busy clients like parents. 

A digital homework app like Therachat is an innovative tool that counselors can use to support clients. This is especially beneficial for busy parents who can’t always make it into regular sessions. Therachat offers emotion tracking, skill-building, thought reframing activities, and progress tracking — all in one app. It’s an accessible tool that parents can reach for when they need a boost between sessions. It’s another way that counselors can support parents with their mental health.

Level up your counseling practice with a digital tool that better supports your patients between sessions. Learn more about Therachat for clinicians.

Journal Prompts for Wellness in 2022

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As we get settled into the new year, now is the perfect time to check in with clients about their New Year’s resolutions. Many have chosen resolutions with the goal of mental clarity, stillness, and anxiety reduction. Journaling is an amazing way to encourage clients to get their thoughts onto a page rather than ruminating. 

However, most clients who want to journal struggle with where to start. That’s why journal prompts are a fantastic catalyst to get clients to self-reflect, get into a growth mindset, and examine the habits needed to get them there. We’ve laid out 12 habits to share with your clients to get them in the right headspace for 2022.

Journal Prompts for Self-Reflection: 

  1. What’s a self-limiting belief that’s holding me back? 
  2. What’s one thing I can do when I’m feeling stressed?
  3. My mantra for 2022 is…
  4. When do I feel most energized? How can I make more time for that in my life?

Journal Prompts for Growth: 

  1. What’s one goal I want to accomplish this year?
  2. One thing I’m looking forward to this year is…
  3. What’s one thing I want less of? 
  4. A new experience I want to have this year is…

Journal prompts for better habits: 

  1. Are my current routines getting me closer to my goals? If not, what needs to change? 
  2. What’s my one everyday non-negotiable? 
  3. What’s one small thing I can do every day to make myself smile? 
  4. What are three of my bad habits? How can I move towards bettering them? 

Keep Your Clients On the Right Track

As some clients get comfortable journaling, many may begin to see it as a self-care tool — reaching for their journal in times of stress. This is a positive habit to be encouraged. For other clients, there can be a huge benefit to journaling if only they were able to keep up with the habit. These clients require extra check-ins and encouragement as they get acquainted with writing. 


No matter what kind of client you’re working with, a digital homework app like Therachat keeps clients engaged with their goals between sessions for higher compliance. With daily reminders, emotion tracking, and in-app journal entries, it’s a powerful way for clients to engage with their homework in a way that’s familiar and comfortable — all on their own personal devices. Hear from counselors like you.

Counseling in 2022: Lessons Learnt and Looking Forward

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Counslling has evolved a lot in the past two years to accommodate the changes brought on by the global pandemic. Throughout it all, the focus was always on maintaining connections between clients and their counselors. As we move into a new year, counseling will continue to evolve with the state of the world — but the focus on connections will be central to client-counselor relationships. We’ve examined counseling in 2022 and broken down what counselors can expect.

Hybrid Counseling – Online and In-Person

While 2020 forced counselors and their clients to an online-only format, 2021 offered some breathing room. As pandemic numbers went down, clients who were comfortable going back to in-person counselling were able to do so. Many clients find the in-person, face-to-face interaction much more engaging than a video call, while others like the convenience of online. Offering more choice is key. That being said, with variants like Omicron on the rise, counseling may go back to strictly online, so counselors should be prepared to make changes. 

Emphasis on Digital Solutions

As the industry and its clients embrace virtual counselling, digital tools like Therachat are essential to ensure clients are staying on track between sessions and meeting their goals. Therachat is an innovative digital homework tool that counselors can use to support their clients from a distance. It offers features like daily homework reminders, skill-building activities, emotion tracking, and mindfulness exercises. It’s a way to stay connected to your clients and support them as they meet their goals.

Stay Flexible 

Though we’ve had some experience with the pandemic, no one can fully anticipate what’s to come. Counseling will continue to evolve with the global situation. That’s why flexibility is key. Counselors who offer the ability to provide both virtual and in-person sessions allow clients more opportunities to show up and do the work. Whether they work from home or in an office, lead busy lives, or have open schedules. Counseling in 2022 is all about meeting clients where they are.

Counseling in 2022 Will Continue to Evolve

2021 offered even more lessons for counselors and their clients to take into the new year. In 2022, counselors can support clients by staying flexible with online and in-person options — which will allow for resilience when it comes to global changes. Counselors can also stay connected to clients between sessions by incorporating digital tools into their practice, allowing for more check-ins between sessions. 

Are you ready to integrate digital tools into your practice? Therachat can help. Find out how we can support your practice in 2020. Learn more.

Support client self-care practices while social distancing

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A self-care practice is imperative during this time where many are separated from their social networks, habitual routines, and in-person counselling sessions. A regular self-care practice is a toolbelt that clients can reach to during times of stress, anxiety or when they need a pick-me-up. There are many ways for counsellors to support their client’s self-care practices while social distancing. Keep reading to find out how. 

Encourage checking in with their network 

Self-care doesn’t always need to be alone. Social connections are key — especially while we can’t be physically close. It’s contradictory, but many people tend to isolate themselves while dealing with stressful situations and anxiety. This leads to rumination and negative thoughts, and worsening the situation. It’s important for clients to reach out to their loved ones for support or just for a light catch-up. Picking up the phone or sending a text can help clients remember how loved and connected they are. 

As much as people are feeling fatigued by video calls, they are one of the best ways to get face time at a distance. Picking up on body language and emotions can help clients feel closer to their loved ones. So encourage clients to connect with their network virtually. 

Suggest picking up a hobby 

Starting a new hobby not only keeps a client occupied, but it can equip them with a sense of purpose and self-trust. If a hobby is a good fit, a client may even find themselves in a state of flow, leading to better emotional regulation, motivation, and creativity. 

Depending on the client’s self-care and social needs, they can either engage in a hobby alone or with others, at a distance. An example of a great shared hobby is a virtual book club. Not only are group members connecting over a mutual interest, but it can easily be done through technology. Tools like video calls, or on an online platform like a Facebook group. No matter which hobby they choose, encourage keeping things light, fun, and casual to avoid rigidness or perfection

Utilize technology to support client self-care

Technology is an excellent way for clients and counsellors to stay connected between sessions, or when social distancing is necessary. A digital homework tool like Therachat helps counsellors do just that. Through the app, counsellors can check-in with clients and encourage self-care routines — keeping clients on-track and actively working towards their goals. Save time with pre-made activities, or customize your own to cater to your client’s unique needs. 

Are you a clinician looking to elevate your practice? Therachat’s innovative features can support you and your clients. Learn more about Therachat for clinicians.