The Methods of the Hope-Focused Approach In order to use HFA effectively, the therapist needs to understand the fundamental principles of the approach. According to Ripley and Worthington (2014), the basics are described as “(1) promoting healing, (2) developing the strategy of faith working through love, (3) locating the areas in which problems mostly exist and (4) intervening” (p. 68). While certain components within this method will take greater amounts of time, Ripley & Worthington’s (2002) extensive research found that “no single part of the method can be thought of as the crucial part” (p. 464), as the effectiveness of HFA is based on the combination of each piece. The methodology involves the use of pre-intervention …show more content…
The reasoning is that ample time spent during the initial intake can lead to briefer counseling, as interventions can be used during this time, as well as the assessment. Additionally, the intake period works toward a major goal, which is in developing therapeutic alliance. In a study of common elements of developing better methods in couples therapy, Sean D. Davis, Jay L. Lebow, and Douglas H. Sprenkle (2012) found, “When the alliance is strong, it tends to amplify the effects of treatment. When it is weak, therapy often does not last long enough for interventions to take effect” (p. …show more content…
Ripley and Worthington (2014) suggests therapists consider the appropriateness of any therapy, the proper fit of using HFA to meet the clients’ needs, whether the typical treatment will be useful, and the relevance HFA would bring in meeting the clients’ needs. HFA is not an appropriate therapeutic method in cases where clients are not willing to work toward healing or is currently involved in ongoing infidelity, domestic violence, self-harming, or substance abuse. Additionally, HFA does not fit every person. For instance, HFA works better in cases where therapists and clients are of similar religious beliefs, as “religious commitment is important in religious therapy because people highly committed to their religion view the world in light of their religious beliefs and values” (Wade, Worthington, Jr., & Vogel, 2007, p. 102). In judging usefulness, clients that have additional issues beyond the initial scope of seeking counseling may need either extra time or an additional referral during counselor to deal with these other issues, which may require altering the intervention method to accommodate. Lastly, therapists must assess the relevance of the counseling to the presenting issue of the clients (Ripley & Worthington,