Positive lexical choice : a bridge to hope through solution focused brief therapy.

Abstract

Hope is a contributing factor towards therapeutic change in counselling, and yet there is limited research on how hope is co-constructed between the counsellor and the client during a therapeutic session. This practice-based research draws on Snyder’s (2000) work on hope to explore how hope is co-constructed through Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) with one adolescent. Snyder describes hope as a goal-oriented approach requiring both client agency and pathways. This research project draws on a qualitative methodology underpinned by social constructionism. Data from one participant collected through video and audio recordings of two counselling sessions with the counsellor-researcher was utilised. Microanalysis was used for data analysis, enabling exploration of grounding sequences, therapist use of questions, lexical choice and discourse markers. Findings highlighted three phases; co-construction of goals, co-construction of agency and redefining futures. These phases, while identified within the data, were informed by Snyder’s Hope Theory and contributed to the understanding of how hope is co-constructed in counselling. Findings show a strong connection between positive lexical choice (PLC) and the co-construction of hope. In addition, the three components of goals, pathway and agency enable hope to be co- constructed collaboratively with the client. Further research exploring lexical choice across counselling theories would make further valuable contributions to therapists’ understanding of how hope is co-constructed in counselling.