′This book represents a major contribution to the literature of several professions. Presenting an account both rich and broad, the author provides a summary and overview of ′hope′ from philosophical, nursing, psychotherapeutic and research perspectives.′ Ian Townsend, Associate Lecturer in Counselling, Blackburn College Engendering ′hope′ is at the heart of counselling and psychotherapy but, until now, little attempt has been made to actually explain howand why it may be fostered. Understanding the central role of hope in healing and personal growth is an essential element of counsellor training and practice. It forms the basis of the therapeutic relationship and is integral to the very aims and motivation of counselling. Keeping theory firmly grounded in real-life practice, this book explores: -The nature of hope and how it is conceptualised from different theoretical perspectives. -The common psychotherapeutic practices which engender hope and how they translate into effective practice -The role of the counsellor in the process -How to manage expectations and work effectively with clients suffering with severe and enduring psychological challenges -Hope measures, and how to be a research-informed practitioner. Packed full of case examples, practical exercise and points for reflection, this book is essential reading for any training or practising healthcare professional looking to understand the role of hope in the process of change.

Hope has long been a topic of interest for psychologists, philosophers, educators, and physicians. In the past few decades, researchers from various disciplines and from around the world have studied how hope relates to superior academic performance, improved outcomes in the workplace, and improved psychological and physical health in individuals of all ages. Edited by Matthew W. Gallagher and the late Shane J. Lopez, The Oxford Handbook of Hope provides readers with a thorough and comprehensive update on the past 25 years of hope research while simultaneously providing an outline of what leading hope researchers believe the future of this line of research to be. In this extraordinary volume, Gallagher, Lopez, and their expert team of contributors discuss such topics as how best to define hope, how hope is distinguished from related philosophical and psychological constructs, what the current best practices are for measuring and quantifying hope, interventions and strategies for promoting hope across a variety of settings, the impact it has on physical and mental health, and the ways in which hope promotes positive functioning. Throughout its pages, these experts review what is currently known about hope and identify the topics and questions that will help guide the next decade of research ahead.

Although there are as many answers to the question of how organizations can gain competitive advantage in today's global economy as there are books and experts, one lesson seems very clear: traditional answers and resources are no longer sufficient. This seminal book offers not only an answer regarding how to gain competitive advantage through people, but also a brand new, untapped human resource--psychological capital, or simply PsyCap. Generated from both the positive-psychology movement and the authors' pioneering work on positive organizational behavior, PsyCap is a rigorous concept: to be included in PsyCap, a given positive construct must be based on theory, research, and valid measurement, must be open to development, and must have measurable performance impact. The positive constructs that have been determined to best meet these PsyCap criteria--efficacy (confidence), hope, optimism, and resiliency--are covered in separate chapters in Psychological Capital and Beyond. Following an exploration of other potential positive constructs such as creativity, wisdom, well-being, flow, humor, gratitude, forgiveness, emotional intelligence, spirituality, authenticity, and courage, the authors summarize the research demonstrating the performance impact of PsyCap. They go on to provide the PsyCap Questionnaire (PCQ) as a measurement tool, and the PsyCap Intervention (PCI) as a development aid. Psychological Capital and Beyond provides theory, research, measurements, and methods of application for psychological capital, a resource that can be developed and sustained for competitive advantage. Each copy includes a complimentary PsyCap online self-assessment.

Hope has previously been a construct more of interest to philosophy and religion than in psychology. New research has shown, however, that hope is closely related to optimism, feelings of control, and motivation toward achieving one's goals. The Handbook of Hope presents a comprehensive overview of the psychological inquiry into hope, including its measurement, its development in children, how its loss is associated with specific clinical disorders, and therapeutic approaches that can help instill hope in those who have lost theirs. A final section discusses hope in occupational applications: how the use of hope can make one a better coach, teacher, or parent. - Defines hope as a construct and describes development of hope through the lifespan - Provides multiple instruments for measuring hope - Guides professionals in how to assess hope levels & implement hope as part of therapy - Relates hope to all portions of the population - Includes case studies, figures, and tables to aid understanding of research findings and concepts; discusses the importance of hope to relationships, achieving goals, and success at work

Brian Thorne?s latest book is likely to cause something of a furore in the counselling and psychotherapy world and more particularly among person-centred practitioners and pastoral counsellors. ?The Mystical Power of Person-Centred Therapy? takes the later work of Carl Rogers with the utmost seriousness and, as a result, moves into unexpected and perhaps, for some, dangerously controversial terrain. Rogers discovered towards the end of his life that he had greatly underestimated both the mystical quality of the therapeutic process and the power of the person-centred approach to give access to the spiritual dimension of experience. Professor Thorne takes this concept further and explores the implications of regarding person-centred therapy as an essentially spiritual discipline. The outcome is a book which not only provides new and startling challenges for therapists of all orientations but also suggests that the person-centred way of being may have a major contribution to make to the resolution of some of humanity?s seemingly intractable problems. It should appeal not only to therapists but also to clergy and all those concerned with the spiritual evolution of humanity. In the light of the events of September 11th 2001 and their aftermath such a book could not come at a more opportune time.

Over the past century, educational psychologists and researchers have posited many theories to explain how individuals learn, i.e. how they acquire, organize and deploy knowledge and skills. The 20th century can be considered the century of psychology on learning and related fields of interest (such as motivation, cognition, metacognition etc.) and it is fascinating to see the various mainstreams of learning, remembered and forgotten over the 20th century and note that basic assumptions of early theories survived several paradigm shifts of psychology and epistemology. Beyond folk psychology and its naïve theories of learning, psychological learning theories can be grouped into some basic categories, such as behaviorist learning theories, connectionist learning theories, cognitive learning theories, constructivist learning theories, and social learning theories. Learning theories are not limited to psychology and related fields of interest but rather we can find the topic of learning in various disciplines, such as philosophy and epistemology, education, information science, biology, and – as a result of the emergence of computer technologies – especially also in the field of computer sciences and artificial intelligence. As a consequence, machine learning struck a chord in the 1980s and became an important field of the learning sciences in general. As the learning sciences became more specialized and complex, the various fields of interest were widely spread and separated from each other; as a consequence, even presently, there is no comprehensive overview of the sciences of learning or the central theoretical concepts and vocabulary on which researchers rely. The Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning provides an up-to-date, broad and authoritative coverage of the specific terms mostly used in the sciences of learning and its related fields, including relevant areas of instruction, pedagogy, cognitive sciences, and especially machine learning and knowledge engineering. This modern compendium will be an indispensable source of information for scientists, educators, engineers, and technical staff active in all fields of learning. More specifically, the Encyclopedia provides fast access to the most relevant theoretical terms provides up-to-date, broad and authoritative coverage of the most important theories within the various fields of the learning sciences and adjacent sciences and communication technologies; supplies clear and precise explanations of the theoretical terms, cross-references to related entries and up-to-date references to important research and publications. The Encyclopedia also contains biographical entries of individuals who have substantially contributed to the sciences of learning; the entries are written by a distinguished panel of researchers in the various fields of the learning sciences.

Recent evidence has shown that the successful setting of goals brings about positive outcomes in psychological therapy. Goals help to focus and direct clients' and therapists' attention in therapeutic work. They also engender hope and help energise clients. No longer are clients victims of their circumstances, but through goal setting they become people who have the potential to act towards and achieve their desired futures. Through the discussing and setting of goals, clients develop a deeper insight into what it is that they really want in life: a crucial first step towards being able to get there. Recent policies in both child and adult mental health services have supported the use of goals in therapy. However, the differing cultures, histories, psychologies, and philosophical assumptions of each form of therapy has brought about varying attitudes and approaches to goal setting. Working with Goals in Counselling and Psychotherapy brings the attitudes of all the major therapeutic orientations together in one volume. With examples from cognitive behaviour therapy, psychodynamic therapy, humanistic therapy, interpersonal therapy, and systemic therapy Working with Goals in Counselling and Psychotherapy truly is the definitive guide for therapists seeking to work with goals in any of the psychological therapies.

Why do some people lead positive, hope-filled lives, while others wallow in pessimism? In The Psychology of Hope, a professor of psychology reveals the specific character traits that produce highly hopeful individuals. He offers a test to measure one's level of optimism and gives specific advice on how to become a more hopeful person.

Goal Focused Positive Psychotherapy (GFPP) is the first comprehensive approach to strength-oriented therapy that fully incorporates positive psychology principles. This book provides instruction for therapists and students wishing to learn a strength-oriented mindset and the necessary skills. GFPP consists of four hallmarks: (1) formation of approach goals; (2) identification and use of client strengths; (3) promotion of positive emotions and experiences; and (4) building hope. Unique to psychotherapy, the theory of change uses Frederickson's Broaden-and-Build Theory of positive emotions. A three-year study is presented that provides evidence of GFPP's outcome effectiveness and GFPP's superiority in supporting therapists building therapeutic alliances with clients. The book describes the therapeutic techniques and positive psychology interventions including positive empathy, capitalization, best possible self, success-finding, encouragement, self-affirmation, mindfulness, miracle and scaling questions, and self-compassion. The primary emphasis of GFPP is to promote happiness, health, and well-being in clients, in contrast to the emphasis of traditional therapy approaches on problem symptom alleviation. The assumption is that clients who benefit by increasing their well-being will be equipped to address problems in their life that inevitably arise. Training and supervision methods are suggested and a supervision model is provided. The information is integrated and illustrated with a chapter of case examples from four GFPP therapists. Readers learn that client problems are not ignored but balanced with an emphasis on positive issues that use the client's strengths and enhance the client's hope. GFPP will appeal to counseling, clinical, and school psychologists, as well as counselors, marriage and family therapists, social workers, life coaches, and students in all these fields.

The essays collected in this volume examine evidence-based approaches to Christian counseling and psychotherapy, exploring treatments for individuals, couples and groups. The book addresses both the advantages and the challenges of this evidence-based approach and concludes with reflections on the future of such treatments.