Integrating self-help into psychotherapy: 16 practical suggestions.

Psychologists routinely recom m end self-help to their patients b ut d esire guid ance on the optim al m ethod s and resources for d oing so. T his article prov id es 16 suggestions, culled from b oth the research literature and clinical ex perience, for integrating self-help into psychotherapy. Am ong the clinical recom m end ations are b road ening the d efinition of self-help, assessing clients’ self-help histories, offering tangib le support in link ing clients w ith self-help, tailoring the self-help resource to the person (not only the d isord er) , assisting clients w ith the ad m inistration of d ifficult self-help program s, using self-help d uring w aiting and m aintenance stages, and ad d ressing clients’ reserv ations ab out its use. Psychologists’ top-rated self-help b ook s, autob iographies, and film s are presented . B y their b ehav ior, psychologists can enhance the effectiv eness of self-help w ithin the contex t of psychotherapy.