WOMEN IN A NURSING HOME Living with Hope and Meaning

A series of reminiscing-type groups for women in a nursing home is described. The purpose of this project is to use a qualitative methodology for exploring feelings and providing emotional catharsis in a population stereotyped largely by hopeless affect and lack of meaning in their lives. The women in the groups varied widely in physical and cognitive abilities; many were confused and memory-impaired. A rationale is provided for the therapist/leader's directive approach in the context of an egalitarian, feminist orientation. Results point toward an increase in interaction with others in the nursing home environment, more self-awareness and self-esteem, and a heightened empathy for other group participants. Annotated excerpts from three group sessions are included.     

A Story of a Split and Hope

ABSTRACT

This article, written by the analyst and his supervisor, presents the handling of a persistent obstruction of the analyst’s empathic capability. The mutual activation of a relentless empathic search led to the obstruction’s dissolution through the revelation of a personal part of the analyst’s life, and its connection to the patient’s inner life. The recognition of the split that existed in the analyst and the joy of finding the lost empathy and expanding it opened a new path in the analysis and enabled the beginning of a psychic transformation in the patient, which main essence is Hope.     

Hope

Summary

The author describes her treatment of her first alcoholic client and observes how the process of providing hope to this client heightened the author's personal capacity to hope. Hope as an aspect of healing is considered and personal reflections on psychotherapeutic work with alcoholics are discussed.     

望

信邓稣得永生—是人的希望，灵魂被弃阴间—是人的绝望。从死里得复活—是人的盼望，黑暗中见光明—是人的指望，流乳与蜜之地—是人的渴望，罪草洗除净尽—是人的期望，爱长寿享美福—是人的愿望，神的灵本为善—是人的仰望。望@刘彤!辽宁~~     

Hope

Hope is a central topic in Christian theology. In the Nordic countries, it holds a prominent place in recent contributions. The present article discusses relevant elements related to Christian hope in a wider context of politics, other imaginaries, and constructive and critical proposals. Taking its point of departure in conceptual nuances suggested by Derrida, it discusses the recent contributions of Herms, Keller and McCord Adams with regard to how a theological explication of hope can be developed in contemporary constructive theology.     

A Living Conversation

Abstract: Experiencing strong differences regarding Christian faith in his family of origin, Paul Sponheim came to stress the content of Christian faith as something to be explicated and defended. The framework for that work has been the distinction and relationship between self and world in relation to God. S. Kierkegaard and A.N. Whitehead are seen as major influences (self, world; respectively) and as needing each other in faith's appropriation. Five decades of theological work constitute a conversation, including teaching and writing. In closing the question of the efficacy of such a conversation is raised and appeal is made to the transformative power of genuine conversation in which all participants are fully present.     

A Phenomenological Reflection on the Experience of Hope

Abstract

Many theologians and philosophers, but few psychologists, have reflected on the experience of hope. It is not my intention, then, to reinvent the wheel or to belabor the obvious. What I intend to do is to elaborate a select number of themes often discussed in the hope literature and to examine them in the concrete context of the actively addicted alcoholic's pilgrimage from hopelessness to a sober life of hope. On this pilgrimage we shall explore the theme of the human necessity to hope, the phenomenon of despair, the embodied quality of hope vividly expressed in the human upright posture, body temporality and relaxation, imaginative thinking's central role in hoping, and finally the ersatz hope of optimism. The interpersonal profile of hoping is highlighted and its foundational power in therapeutic transformation explicated.