Hope Therapy Residents Can Learn

In the not too distant past, most therapy Calgary residents focused on what was wrong in their lives and how to fix it. People suffering from repeated bouts with anxiety dug into their lives to find the sources of their anxieties and to make needed changes.

In the late 1990’s the new field of Positive Psychology came into being which focused more on what was right in life. Under this therapeutic approach anxious people focused instead on situations in which they feel worry free and happy. Having identified their strength situations they build on them and expand them. Today there is a new therapeutic approach, called Hope Therapy, which is also built on the foundation of teaching people to build on their strengths.

The underlying assumption here is that people can be taught to hope. To some that might sound preposterous considering how hard it is even to define what hope is, but a research study conducted at the Ohio State University in 2008 indicates it might be possible. They found that hopeful people have the following attributes:

  • They know where they want to go.
  • They have both the desire and the skills needed to determine how to get there.
  • They have positive support systems to help them along the way.

Goals – Knowing Where You Want to Go

Hope differs from optimism primarily in that hope is goal oriented while optimism seems to be more a generalized mind state that good things will happen. Hopeful people have something specific in mind they are after.

Desire and Skill Needed for Achievement

People with hope generally have a burning desire; a real passion, for going after what it is they want. What’s more, they have the skills needed to create a realistic pathway for getting there. This includes the skill to modify or even replace the plan if needed to keep on track.

Positive Support Systems

Listen to a hopeful person and you will hear positive, forward-looking language. They believe they can do it and they will keep at until they do. Setbacks do not cause them to abandon the pathway, only to modify it or replace it as needed. The positive belief system allows them to replan and keep moving.

Social science studies provide interesting starting points for discussion but rarely prove beyond a doubt that something is or is not true. So we ask, can people really be taught to have hope through hope therapy where they are taught these skills?

The test of common sense suggests it is more than just a possibility. Anyone who has spent time in the business world will recognize the components of hope as goal setting, planning, and contingency planning. If these things can be taught for professional business purposes, they certainly can be taught for personal purposes.

What’s more, common sense tells us Hope Therapy Calgary residents might sign up for should have a greater likelihood of success. Why? In a business setting, the goals more often than not represent the company’s hopes, not the hopes of the individual. With hope therapy, you will truly own the goals you set for yourself.