The role of hope in a thomistic psychotherapy

Abstract:

Hope is a protective factor for mental health, especially when a person goes through difficult situations in life. While it does not resolve the situation, it strengthens the individual by giving them reasons to persevere and make decisions that help them overcome life’s challenges. It is a resilience factor, closely related to what Viktor Frankl proposed with the notion of the meaning of life. The theological psychology of Thomas Aquinas allows for the integration of the human need for meaning with the call to participate in divine life, as Augustine of Hippo expressed when he exclaimed: “My heart is restless until it rests in You, Lord.” Integral psychotherapy cannot separate the need for meaning from participation in divine life, nor be satisfied with a merely pragmatic use of hope in therapeutic progress. Instead, it must understand the transformation that occurs in the person who directs their hope toward the supernatural end to which they have been called: beatitude.

Keywords:

Hope, Psychotherapy, Thomas Aquinas, Meaning of life, Mental Health