Lesson 8: Hope, Forgiveness, Resiliency, Optimism, and the Beethoven Effect Attention Learning Outcomes Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able to:
Teaching Hope makes people stride boldly toward their goals. Counselors are hope-awakeners, fanning 'the spark of hope into a flame of energy for change' by using a variety of methods such as believing that people have the power to change, coaching them to use their own desire to change, encouraging those in despair to imagine that they are launching toward their goals, affirming those actions that can make things better (even very minor progress), and relating with care and confrontation (p. 50). Kwan (2010) goes on to support Clinebell's idea of hope: "He saw hope as the power that drives people to escape from the web of despair and also the strength that saves people when their confidence and love plummet" (p. 50).
Kwan uses the term hope within a counseling context to "allow people to be open to the future, turning themselves and their community, as well as their past, present, and future, into an unbroken integrative so that people can be released from bitterness" (p. 51). Kwan does something quite impressive as the article unfolds. "According to the analysis of B.S. Held and C.R. Snyder, the substructure of this approach had the same origin as positive psychology" (Kwan, 2010, p. 52). Kwan reviews the work of Donald Capps and reveals that...
The skills suggested in the hope approach, are similar to those in Positive Psychology, and summarized by Kwan (2010) as "future envisioning and revising the past" (p. 55). As counselor's we can de-emphasize negativity by assisting clients with forming realistic goals for future-oriented living (versus constantly listening to the languishing in despair or negative symptomatology, worry, and pathological enmeshment with the present or past- though some amount of active validation and processing is certainly advocated in this area). Matching goals and challenges with skills and ability is something Csikszentmihalyi has described as inducements to 'flow' experiences. Envisioning a future circumstance, outcome, goal with hope; assessing resources, skill and realistic achievement is an approach to therapy that may reawaken happiness and add success as pertinent and real patient care- a focus on health instead of illness. Kwan (2010) summarizes Capps by indicating that as an 'agent of hope' one of our foci should be to turn the eyes of the client from inward rumination and suffering of past events toward reframes that provide lessons and meaning to the suffering that occurred, "from the problematic past toward the caring mentorship of the past" (Kwan, 2010, p. 55). Next Kwan (2010) introduces Everett Worthington's theory of hope and goal oriented counseling. In June 2011, I attended the 25th annual Thomas Nevola Symposium at Colby College in Maine. The symposiums are thematic, but always address some aspects of Spirituality and Health. This year, Dr. Everett Worthington spoke about Forgiveness. His keynote address summarized his horrifying experience with coming to terms with the brutal murder and rape of his mother on New Year's Eve. From this experience he became a leading researcher on Forgiveness. Kwan (2010), however, gives some insight into how Dr. Worthington was able to accomplish forgiveness. If a poster-child of positive reframing of the past is necessary, Dr. Worthington's face would grace the walls of the halls of forgiveness. Kwan (2010) summarizes: "According to Worthington, hope-focused counseling promotes a client's hopes through enhancing a sense of agency and reinforcing skills for improving present conditions" (p. 57). The message is that positive change is possible. Again, Kwan reiterates a recurrent theme, in order for treatment to be effective it is to be: "future-oriented, virtue-rooted, and goal-focused," his introduction of Positive Psychology echoes these features and connects ancient (religious and philosophical) thought with the 'new' science of Positive psychology. He, however, starts with the assertion, to which I am supportive, that "Positive psychology is actually not a new thing" (p.58). Kwan (2010) submits that "According to Martin Seligman, psychology had three distinct missions before the Second World War: curing mental illness, making the lives of all people more productive and fulfilling, and identifying and nurturing high talent" (pp. 58-59). As early as Maslow (and as previously discussed, much earlier) formal theory highlighted talents, strengths, skills and 'actualization.' Positive Psychology does draw on the theories of Humanistic psychology, but in an effort to differentiate, and define the field, Martin Seligman presented to the American Psychological Association an attempt at a reversal of the illness ideology, and in a speech in 2000 he stated, according to Kwan (2010):
Positive Psychology does adhere to three levels of focus. Seligman mention three levels of address: "subjective, individual, and group" (Seligman, 2002) the areas of foci that will, as the ancients foretold, reveal the Oneness in each of us. Also, relevant and of importance, these levels will allow for the 'virtue' with which humans are given ultimate purpose.
I include this excerpt to echo post traumatic growth, resiliency, sense of control, self-determination and living authentically in a manner of wholeness and in so doing living with honor, sincerity, and knowing; and, dying with the dignity that one has preserved herself, not sacrificing the self and sacred held close. Though Mosha surrendered to corporeal death, her spirit provided hope to others, and left a mark as deeply etched as the scars of brutality that had been experienced. "Izzie" focused on Mosha, this allowed his own flourishing life to have greater meaning. With the flap of a butterfly's wing, the 'maestro' left a trace that carries through time. Learning theory proposes that only through our environment do we learn; as if immersed in total darkness from birth, our eyes though not damaged, would not form the ability to see. The absence of stimulation affects us in a direct and personal way, we become blind; so, too, does the absence of environmental and social stimulation, the enrichment others can create, or the deprivation that can be caused. 'Cognitive-interpersonal theory' suggests thoughts and feelings are created when exposure to environments are experienced. We begin to reenact roles with which we are familiar, comfortable (or paradoxically comfortably uncomfortable), and have some sort of gain or importance to us or others, and motivate us to behave in a particular manner. Engaging the imagination to include a reframing of past experience, inherently social (as likely we are born into a social system), and actively altering response (cognitive and affective) in a self-directed manner, as assisted by a counselor (or individually motivated) can supersede the effects of earlier experience (in some cases) and ignite a sense of movement toward happiness.
Things we can do to change the lives of others...
Helping & Paying it Forward: Philanthropic endeavors, Volunteering, Random Acts of Kindness, Anonymous notes of Thanks….
Click HERE to view this directly on YouTube Click HERE to visit the Random Acts of Kindness website!
Click HERE to view this directly on YouTube Assessment Lesson 8 Activities A
PLEASE NOTE: You do not have to give these letters to anyone, but please submit them to me. IF you do give these notes, post the experience to the discussion board—OPTIONAL! Lesson 8 Activities B Create a Hope Kit OR Therapeutic Tool Kit – you can make a box, use a shoe box, decorate a container, use a drawer in your home, use a bag, but find a container that can be kept over time and easily stored. A Therapeutic Tool Kit: contains specific items pertaining to feeling better- minimizing distress, blocking symptoms, helping you cope or engage in something positive in a time that is emotionally distressing. Sometimes, items can be things like, tea, good luck charms, journals, pictures, worksheets, music cd or a dvd, a book or a poem, etc. The idea of the Toolbox is to identify different types of 'tools' to repair feelings of anxiety, anger or sadness. Categories of tools are identified that repair emotions by quickly releasing or slowly reducing the energy generated by the emotion, changing thinking, or blocking negative thoughts- types of tools can include
A Hope Kit: is a collection of objects associated with your hope~ the objects can make you smile, make you remember a time of hope, increase your optimism, lighten your heart and/or ease your mind, make you laugh, uplift your mood, etc. The Hope Kit is a little different than a Therapeutic Tool Kit as the Hope Kit's sole purpose is to collect those things in life that have, do, and will always remind you of something pure, magical, beautiful, optimistic and hopeful. Lesson 8 Discussion Post a 600 word discussion onto the Bb site. Discuss the creation of your kit. In your post, describe the process of creating these things, if it altered your perspective, and speak to the psychological aspects revealed in this assignment: think about basic psychological theories- and describe how this project emphasizes any aspect of those theories/or does not.
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