Experiences of Hope for Youth Workers Engaging At-Risk and Street-Involved Young People: Applications to the Field of Counselling and Psychotherapy

Authors

  • Kenneth C. Murdoch University of Alberta
  • Denise Larsen University of Alberta

Keywords:

Hope, Qualitative, Youthwork, Psychotherapy, Mentorship

Abstract

Working with at-risk youth can be rewarding, but it can sometimes become difficult to maintain hope. This study used basic interpretive inquiry to explore and understand the experience of hope for 4 youth workers at a community organization in a large Canadian city. The authors used thematic analysis to examine data from semi-structured interviews. Three categories were constructed from the data: nourishing the hopeful self, maintaining a culture of hope, and holding hopeful perspectives. Taken in tandem with extant literature on hope, a discussion of the findings reflects on provocative ideas related to the nature of hope and the self, as well as the place of hope at work. Implications for future research and practice are explored with a focus on promoting hope for helping professionals.

Author Biographies

Kenneth C. Murdoch, University of Alberta

Kenneth Murdoch, M.Ed, is a doctoral student in Counselling
Psychology at the University of Alberta. His current research interests include positive psychology, hope, and qualitative methodology.  

Denise Larsen, University of Alberta

Denise Larsen, Ph.D., R. Psych., is a Professor of Counselling Psychology at the University of Alberta and Director of Hope Studies Central, a research lab now in existence for 25 years and focused on applied research on hope in counselling and allied professions.  

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Published

2018-11-13

How to Cite

Murdoch, K. C., & Larsen, D. (2018). Experiences of Hope for Youth Workers Engaging At-Risk and Street-Involved Young People: Applications to the Field of Counselling and Psychotherapy. Canadian Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy, 52(4). Retrieved from https://dev.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/rcc/article/view/61204

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Section

Articles/ Articles