The dynamic gift of hope in psychotherapy

Abstract

Hope has been an articulated aspect of the human experience for thousands of years. In the field of psychology, humanistic theory brought hope out of the shadows while positive psychology's focus on virtues furthered research on hope and brought it into the second millennium. In borrowing from psychological and theological disciplines the author has sought to provide a comprehensive literature review to explore the role of hope in the lives of clinicians as well as the contagious nature and function of hope in the psychotherapy relationship and process. A review of Snyder's model of hope and the Adult Hope Scale is incuded and cross-cultural limitations are noted. The related constructs of optimism and imagination are explored.