Moving up the continuum of hope: developing a theory of hope and understanding its influence in couples therapy.

For years therapists have suggested that hope is an important catalyst in the process of change. This study takes a grounded theory approach to address the need for a clearer conceptualization of hope, and to place interventions that increase hope within a therapeutic context so that therapists know how and when to use those interventions. Fifteen active and experienced marriage and family therapists from across the United States participated in hour-long phone interviews about hope in couples therapy. Moving Up the Continuum of Hope emerged as the core category from the grounded theory analysis of the data. This category represents a process, with general and specific conditions and consequences that increase a couple's level of hope. This study serves as a foundation for future process research on couples therapy, as well as research on hope in other contexts (e.g., individual and family therapy) and with other perspectives (e.g., clients).