In performing mental health interventions, social workers take pride in our client centered, empowerment strengths-based approaches that provide hope. In fact, the National Association of Social

Workers contends that social work is the profession of hope (National Association of Social

Workers,  2012). If true, mental health treatment modalities that are empirically proven to promote hope are central to the realization of the goals of mental health social work.

Hope therapy as developed by C.R. Snyder (2002) offers an empirically-formed theoretical framework that translates into an outcomes-based mental health treatment modality. As hope therapy grows in usage, social work has the opportunity to play a vital role in its application in mental health settings.

HOPE THEORY

Snyder (2002) reasoned that hope is not a passive emotion occurring only in life’s worst moments, but a cognitive process through which individuals actively pursue goals. In his articulation of hope, Snyder (2002) defines it as “goal-directed thinking, in which people appraise their capability to produce workable routes to goals (pathways thinking), along with their potential to initiate and sustain movement via a pathway (agency thinking)” (p. 143).

THE PREDICTIVE VALUE OF HOPE

Using the above definition,  researchers have developed psychometrically suitable adult dispositional and state measures of hope (Bryant & Cvengros, 2004) and children’s hope scales (Snyder, 2000). In

relation to emotional wellbeing, research using such measures has found that lower hope scores predict depression  (Kwon, 2000; Chang & DeSimone, 2001), while higher hope scores reflect better overall

psychological and social adjustment (Kwon, 2002).

Research has also shown the efficacy of hope therapy, a treatment modality based on hope’s theoretical principles. A randomized trial of hope therapy in a group setting revealed a decrease in depression and anxiety for those who received hope therapy versus those in the control (Cheavens, Feldman, Gum, & Scott, 2006).

HOPE THERAPY AND SOCIAL WORK

Hope theory and its therapeutic tenets hold the potential to serve as a unifying metatheory for other social work mental health treatment modalities and practices. In fact, hope theory is especially valuable in elucidating the common principles found in all efficacious mental health interventions (Taylor, Feldman, Saunders, Illardi, 2000). A review of literature suggests a client’s hope development may

be best achieved through a therapeutic integration of cognitive behavior, solutionfocused, and narrative

therapies (Lopez, Floyd, Ulven, & Snyder, 2000). Moreover, social work practice techniques related to motivational interviewing, resiliency, strengths-based perspective, and empowerment are all

particularly helpful to therapists working to increase a client’s hope. A description of hope

therapy and its relationship to existing social work mental health treatment modalities and techniques is discussed below. Goal  building. Given that hope theory is predicated on the premise that human beings are goal-directed, the first step in a hope-based mental health intervention is working with a client to develop clearly articulated goals. Early in the therapist-client relationship, the hope practitioner helps a client develop a mental health hope profile (Lopez, et al. 2000) answering the question, “What am I hoping for?”

By developing a client’s mental health hope profile, the client and therapist are placing the

focus on affirmative goal-setting rather than on mental health pathologies, which encourages

the client to remain committed to the therapeutic process. For example, positive formulation

of the goals of therapy in hope terms, such as “I hope to be happier,” is helpful in motivating the patient.

Pathway building. Once measureable goals are pinpointed, the next step in the hope therapeutic process is building a cognitive pathway toward those goals. The hope therapist helps the client answer

the question, “What steps must I take to reach my goal?” Such focus on pathways facilitates

application of social work’s person-in-environment perspective, and represents a transition from a cognitive state to action. Employing hope theory and its pathways component reduces the likelihood that the mental health intervention will focus only on the intrapsychic workings of the client’s mind sans a thorough assessment of a client’s social environment.

Agency building. Agency is the motivational facet of hope that fuels people along pathways toward goals even in the presence of obstacles. The role of the hope therapist is to partner with the client to build agency through self-referential activities designed to enhance motivation (Lopez, et al., 2000). The hope-based intervention helps the client answer questions like, “How have I motivated myself in the past to have my hopes realized?” and, “How did I overcome obstacles before?” Such approaches help a client build agency, and thus hope, because of the benefits of reflection on previous goal attainment.

The role of hope therapy in bringing multiple elements of existing mental health treatment modalities into a unifying framework are as follows:

Cognitive behavioral therapy: Building pathways. A common element to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the identification and modification of cognitive distortions that have a negative influence on mental health (Sava, 2009). In hope terms, these cognitive distortions erode agency, limit pathway

identification, and thus, erode hope. In hope terms, the emphasis in CBT on hypothesis testing, correcting automatic distortions and self-monitoring serve to elevate agency. Furthermore, cognitive exercises related to homework often employed by CBT help the client begin navigating pathways in vivo between sessions to improve the pathway component of hope.

Solution-focused interventions: linking goals to pathways. Solution-focused therapies utilize several approaches that are useful to building hope. First, as a brief therapy, solution-focused interventions emphasize the importance of affirmative and efficient goal setting (Gingerich & Eisengart, 2000; Lethem, 2002). Hope therapy also centers on the efficient creation of goals as an early step in the therapeutic process. Secondly, solution focused techniques such as the miracle question (Grant, 2003) involve clients envisioning goal attainment then thinking retroactively to create pathways to the goal, and thus, hope.

Narrative interventions: building rainbows. Although the precise parameters of narrative therapy remain undefined (Wallis, Burns, &Capdevila, 2011), hope theory offers a theoretical means to

elucidate the most effective aspects of all therapy approaches that contain narrative aspects. Broadly

speaking, the term “narrative” refers to the therapeutic emphasis placed upon the stories of people’s lives and the differences that can be made through retellings of these stories (Wallis et al., 2011). In

hope terms, narrative therapists ask a client to tell a personal story of an effort to reach a goal that includes a description of travel down a pathway toward that goal and obstacles overcome. In such a manner, a hope therapist identifies limits on a client’s hope, such as low agentic thinking or a lack of

pathways, which is revealed via the narrative.

Motivational interviewing: generating agency. When a hope therapist identifies low agentic thinking toward a goal, the therapist must employ practice skills to help raise agency, and thus hope. One such practice skill is motivational interviewing, defined as a collaborative, client- centered form of guiding to illicit and strengthen motivation to change (Miller & Rollnick, 2009). In hope theory, activities such as motivational interviewing increase motivation, falling squarely under the agency facet of hope.

Empowerment principles and hope. Empowerment theory in social work mental health practice concerns partnership with clients in consciousness raising, overcoming barriers, developing self-efficacy, and access to personal power (Payne, 2005). Empowerment principles assist clients to view themselves more positively and thus capable of action (Kirst-Ashman, 2008). A concept associated with empowerment is resiliency, which emphasizes the use of strengths to cope with adversity (Gutheil & Congress, 2002).

The heart of empowerment is helping clients see themselves as capable of taking action to continue down a pathway toward a goal despite obstacles. In hope terms, such is the nature of agentic thought.

Hope therapists employ empowerment principles to raise agency, which in turn motivates the client to continue down the pathway and thus become more hopeful for a goal.

CONCLUSION

Hope theory and therapy are uniquely suited to mental health social work. The elements of

hope therapy, goal-setting, agency, and pathways-thinking, offer a simple and empirically measurable

method to assist a client toward optimal mental health functioning. With hope therapy, social workers have a unique opportunity to embrace a developing evidenced based treatment modality that offers

promise as a means to social work’s professed goals of creating hope for improved mental health.

Ricky T. Munoz, MSW, JD, is an assistant clinical professor of social work at the Anne and Henry Zarrow

School of Social Work at the University of Oklahoma. He can be reached at rmunoz@ou.edu.

Kirsten Havig, PhD, MSW, is an assistant professor of social work at the Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work at the University of Oklahoma. She can be reached at khavig@ou.edu.

Chan M. Hellman, PhD, is the founding director of the OU-Tulsa Center of Applied Research for Nonprofit Organizations. He can be reached at chellman@ou.edu.

Jeremy S. Aragon, BS, is an MSW student and a graduate research assistant at the Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work at the University of Oklahoma. He can be reached at jaragon81@ou.edu.

REFERENCES

Bryant, F.B., & Cvengros, J.A. (2004). Distinguishing hope and optimism: Two sides of a coin, or two separate coins? Journal of Social & Clinical Psychology, 23(2), 273-302.

Chang, E.C., & DeSimone, S.L. (2001). The influence of hope on appraisals, coping, and dysphoria: A test of hope theory. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 20, 117-129.

Cheavens, J.S., Feldman, D.B., Gum, A., & Scott, T. (2006). Hope therapy in a community sample: a pilot investigation. Social Indicators Research, 77:61–78.

Gingerich, W. J. and Eisengart, S. (2000). Solution-focused brief therapy: A review of the outcome research. Family Process, 39(4), 477–498. doi: 10.1111/j.1545-5300.2000.39408.x.

Grant, A.M. (2003). The impact of life coaching on goal attainment, metacognition and mental health. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 31(3), 253-263.

Gutheil, I.A. & Congress, E. (2002). Resiliency in older people: A paradigm for practice. In R.R. Greed (Ed., pp. 40-52), Resiliency: An integrated approach to practice, policy, and research. Washington, DC: NASW Press.

Kirst-Ashman, K.K. (2008). Human Behavior, Communities, Organizations, and Groups in the Macro

            Social Environment An Empowerment Approach. (2nd ed.) Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole.

Kwon P. (2002). Hope, defense mechanisms, and adjustment: Implications for false hope and defensive hopelessness. Journal of Personality, 70, 63-87. Kwon P. (2000). Hope and dysphoria: The moderating role of defense machanisms. Journal of Personality, 68, 199-223.

Lopez, S.J., Floyd, R.K., Ulven, J.C. & Snyder, C.R. (2000). Hope Therapy: Helping Clients Build a House of Hope. In C.R. Snyder (Ed.) Handbook of Hope Theory, Measures, and Application (pp. 123-150). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.

Lethem, J. (2002). Brief solution focused therapy. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 7(4), 189–192.

            doi:10.1111/ 1475-3588.00033.

Miller, W.R. & Rollnick, S. (2009). Ten things that Motivational Interviewing is not. Behavioural and

            Cognitive Psychotherapy, 37, 129-140.

National Association of Social Workers (2012). National Association of Social Workers 2012 Conference:

            Restoring Hope the Power of Social Work. Retrieved March, 9, 2012 from www.socialworkers.org/nasw/conferences/ hope2012/default.asp.

Payne, M. (2005). Modern social work theory (3rd ed.). Chicago, IL: Lyceum Books. Sava, F.A. (2009).

            Maladaptive schemas, irrational beliefs, and their relationship with the Five-Factor Personality Model.

Journal of Cognitive & Behavioral Psychotherapies, 9(2), 135-147.

Snyder, C.R. (2002). Hope theory: Rainbows in the mind. Psychological Inquiry 13, 249–275. Snyder, C.R. (2000). The past and possible futures of hope. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 19(1), 11-28. doi: 10.1521/jscp.2000.19.1.11.

Taylor, J.D., Feldman, D.B., Saunders, R.S., Illardi, S.S. (2000). Hope Theory and Cognitive Behavioral Therapies. In C.R. Snyder (Ed.) Handbook of Hope Theory, Measures, and Application (pp. 109-122), San Diego, CA: Academic Press.

Wallis, J., Burns, J., & Capdevila, R. (2011). What is narrative therapy and what is it not? The usefulness of Q methodology to explore accounts of White and Epston’s (1990) approach to narrative therapy. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 18(6), 486-497. doi:10.1002/cpp.723.