Towards a grounded theory of therapist hope

Abstract

AimTo identify and explore: (i) how therapists conceptualise hope; and (ii) how they operationalise and work with hope in therapy.Method and AnalysisTwo sets of data were gathered for analysis. The first set came from a short-answer questionnaire completed by 65 trainee and experienced therapists. The second data set was provided by semistructured interviews conducted with 11 therapists. The interview data was transcribed and with the questionnaire data was analysed collectively using grounded theory.FindingsA large range of findings was produced from the study and is broadly organised into outcomes about the nature and function of hope within therapy and hope-focused strategies. Amongst other important findings, the centrality of the therapeutic relationship in the development of hope was consistently highlighted.DiscussionThe majority of previous research on hope has focused on client hope. While therapist hope has been recognised in the literature for some time, relatively little research has been conducted to explore therapist hope. The findings of the study provide insight into how therapists think about hope and its place in therapy. The paper discusses how therapists engage with hope in therapy and identifies some of the perceived strengths and limitations to working with hope. A range of hope-focused strategies are discussed under the headings of relationship-focused, task-focused and transcendence-focused strategies. Limitations of the study are acknowledged and recommendations for future research are offered.