“The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

The other day I was reading the news and was struck by a brief moment of despair. I thought, “Every day brings more and more bad news….” The truth is that we do live in a very challenging time in history. On social media, television and news sources we are fed a plethora of proof of bad news. We see evidence of natural disasters, hatred and divisiveness in humanity as well as acts of violence in everyday settings. Living during this time can really take a toll on mental health and wellbeing. If this is something that resonates with you, know that you are not alone in this struggle.

Many people seek out counseling to cope with mental health symptoms which are often impacted by the uninterrupted access to information at our fingertips. If you find yourself getting swept up in a sense of hopelessness, I encourage you to look for the light during these times. Hold on to hope for what our world can become. Choosing hope, despite all of the grief, can make an incredible impact on our world.

In 1991, positive psychologist Charles Snyder and his colleagues developed “Hope Theory”. This theory is founded on the premise that hope creates a sense of determination, strengthens motivation and fosters agency. Charles Snyder and his colleagues researched this concept and found that hope creates a dynamic motivational system which drives individuals to achieve their goals. Hope theory emphasizes that hopeful thinking fuels individuals to believe they can achieve goals as well as helps to foster creativity which can promote problem solving.

Comparatively, “Hope Theorists” found that individuals who lack hope, tend to set goals that do not challenge them nor offer them opportunities for growth. These people tend to fail and/or quit, which can result in ongoing and increased feelings of helplessness and lack of control. They often do not believe they have an impact on their own futures. Many of us have felt this way at some point in our lives, it is normal to experience periods of darkness and despair.

The other day when I felt discouraged by the news, I turned inward and found comfort in the vision of what the power of hope could do on a larger scale. I urge you to consider how we can use the ideas I laid out above to impact larger communities. Hope helps to unite individuals in visions of what we, as a whole, can become. People can then work together to meet shared goals for our collective future. And with hope to fuel us, I believe that things can change for the better.

A question that may arise for you as you read this is how to find hope when you have lost it. A sense of hopelessness may be part of what brought you to this blog and our website. For many, hopelessness may be a source of shame, and we understand that there are many influences that could impact your levels of hope. This is where counseling can help. The clinicians at Bridger Peaks Counseling wholeheartedly believe in the power of the therapeutic relationship. We can listen and sit with you as you explore the ways that you have lost hope, and we can also help you to discover what you value in life and what inspires you to hope. We have seen many clients develop an incredible sense of hope through the growth done in therapy.

On some level, the simple act of calling to schedule an appointment with a counselor can give a sense of relief to someone who has been struggling with mental health symptoms. This is the first step towards motivation and taking action in your life. If you have already started your journey into a counseling relationship, we commend you for taking such a brave and vulnerable step towards hope. If you have yet to start, we are here, and you are not alone.

Rand, & Cheavens, J. S. (2009). Hope theory. In S. J. Lopez & C. R. Snyder (Eds.), Oxford library of psychology. The Oxford handbook of positive psychology (p. 323–333). Oxford University Press.

Snyder, C. (2002). Hope Theory: Rainbows in the Mind. Psychological Inquiry, 13(4), 249-275. Retrieved from www.jstor.org/stable/1448867

Larsen D., Edey W., and Lemay L., (2007). Understanding the role of hope in counselling: Exploring the intentional uses of hope, Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 20:4, 401-416, DOI: 10.1080/09515070701690036

AUTUMN CLOWES, MS, PCLC

Autumn believes that each individual and every couple has within them the capacity for growth and profound strength. She loves helping the people and working with them to feel empowered to face and overcome challenges and shed the debilitating effects of shame.

Her strengths include working with people who have experienced trauma, issues surrounding sexuality and sexual orientation, grief and loss, and self harming behaviors. She also has a deep desire to help people who struggle with addictive behaviors to conquer the guilt and shame that often go along with those struggles.