Co-constructing the emergence of hope : using solution-focused therapy with adolescents.

Abstract

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) is a postmodern, non-pathologizing approach to counselling, which focuses on client strengths. With the assumption that all people have tools they can use to work towards their own “preferred future”, SFBT therapists take a non-expert stance, presuming clients have more understanding of their own contexts than therapists ever will. Helping clients to uncover their abilities, develop hope in a desired future and co-construct ways to move towards their hopes is at the core of this model of counselling. This qualitative, practice-based study is based on the use of SFBT with adolescents and investigates the emergence of hope throughout the counselling process. As will be discussed, hope has been shown to be influenced by one’s ability to see a path moving forward. At the core of SFBT is the desire to help clients construct their desired future for themselves. This desire has led to my interest in further investigating implicit and explicit links between hope and the SFBT model. The study had two participants, who each had three counselling sessions with me. I was in a dual role, both as their counsellor and as a researcher. Through the process of thematic data analysis, I focused on the emergence of hope through two conditions: 1) the personal significance of hope and 2) the solution-focused process of hope. Four emerging themes, discussed through these two conditions, include: the personal meaning of hope, the influences on client-participant agency, co-constructing a “preferred future” and co- constructing ownership and increased agency. This research contributes to the current research on hope in young people, especially in conjunction with SFBT.