Why is hope so fundamental to our existence? Hope is increasingly being acknowledged as an
important factor both for people's resilience and for positive therapeutic outcomes. In
considering this and many other questions this evocative textbook introduces the reader to the
repeated shifting or 'dance' between hope and despair that is so often encountered by
practitioners working with profoundly traumatised individuals. This book brings a sharp focus
to the ways in which therapeutic relationships can draw individuals out of the constant
oscillation between light and dark. It provides an insightful and thoughtful discussion not
just about despair itself but about how to be with despair. Informed by the author's own years
of experience in the field of psychotherapy this engaging and stimulating book provides
practical guidance on how students trainees and practitioners can inspire fresh hope in deeply
troubled clients.
