<br/>Acts of Hope — Hold Hope Counselling & Wellness

Coming to therapy can be a difficult decision. It is an investment of time, energy, money, and focus. I want to see that investment pay off for my clients. I hope that my clients find relief, and move forward with more ease. So, how do we get there? Perhaps it starts with hope. I invite you to consider some ways we can hold hope in therapy together.

“Therapy itself is an activity of hope.”

~John Winslade

Hope can be a foundation to build on. One of the first questions I ask my clients when we meet is: What are your hopes for therapy? This question can offer us a place to start. I can hold space to talk through problems and issues, and to support you to explore strategies and skills.

Hope can be a process. Hope can be something that ebbs and flows. Some days can be full of hope, while other days are not. At times despair, or discouragement can show up. In therapy, we can witness the absence of hope, as well as its spark.

Hope can be shared in relationship. It can be something communal amongst family, friends, community, colleagues, peers, support networks, and pets. Hope can be held and shared in a therapy session. It opens the possibility of recognizing skills, strengths, and alternative perspectives, forging new paths, and envisioning futures to come.

Hope can be something to practice. It’s a skill that can be acquired. We can set values-based goals, move toward them, and problem-solve or find alternatives.when we meet obstacles. Hope can be good for our health. A recent study on hope and well-being found that participants with high levels of hope reported more positive emotions, a stronger sense of purpose and meaning, lower levels of depression, better physical health, fewer number of chronic illnesses, and fewer sleep problems.

When I ask, what are your hopes for therapy, we can begin building this foundation and to explore these acts of hope.

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Informed by:

Winslade, J. (August, 2012). The Foundations of Hope in Therapy. Keynote presentation to Japan Brief Psychotherapy Association, Kobe, JP, August 24.

Long K NG, et al. (2020). The role of Hope in subsequent health and well-being for older adults: An outcome-wide longitudinal approach.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S259011332030002X?via%3Dihub