“Where there’s life, there’s hope”.
We enter therapy because our hope in something we value is waning; A relationship, unplanned loss or a specific troubling issue in our lives. Our life energy is low and we yearn for something more.
1.) Hope is a catalyst for action
Siegel (2000) states that connection with self and others is essential for human survival and our ability to thrive. Choosing a therapist who incorporates Feedback-Informed Treatment installs hope back into our lives and relationships. The embers of hope, that already exist within us, are fanned as we work with someone who is interested in attuning to us in this evidence-based way.
FIT installs hope and trust in both client and clinician through mutual accountability. It adds buoyancy and direction to each session. Feeling heard and understood empowers and strengthens the hope we hold for ourselves and humanity.
2.) Hope is an embrace from the unknown
The unknown is something that is beyond us. Walking into, or being mandated into therapy is not easy; in fact it can be down right scary. Entering this unknown requires a pulse of hope that all will be well. To start this process, we must first make friends with the unknown. At the end of the day, “In whatever urban or rural community, we all live side by side, breathe the same air and cherish the same hopes for ourselves and our children” (Hollis 2013, p.137). Relationships, even the ones we form while in therapy, are a method of alchemy offering moments where form and content of life meld together taking us somewhere new. Hope embraces us and helps get us there. It is within the unknown where the potential for change exists.
As a FIT therapist, we must make friends with the unknown. Finding a way to really connect with our clients in a way that makes sense for them, not the other way around. Space to meet within this unknown is provided by hope: Hope that our connection serves a client in and out of the office.
3.) Hope is NOT an emotion
Hope-related cognitions correlate highly with learning goals, which drive personal growth, improvement and the desire to thrive (Snyder et al., Lopez, 2015).
The FIT model of care is a continual loop of discovery between client and clinician, which fosters useful tools for successful living and forward movement. This forward movement, initiated by hope, also weaves hope through all facets of our lives.
Hope is part of our human condition and a cousin to longing. Every heart longs to belong—and this is what prompts us to engage in relationships where we yearn to be understood and belong. A FIT model of care offers clients some insight into this innate yearning.
Becoming a FIT system of care does not happen overnight, and Dr. Scott Miller and his International Centre for Clinical Excellence provides the training, support and follow-up required to implement this in your practice.
Hope Keeps You Alive.
Written by Shauna Dawn Paynter
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