Abstract
This contribution is part of an edited book (ksgv, in Dutch) that resulted from a symposium on positive psychology and meaning in life in the context of spiritual care. With positive psychology’s shift in focus from psychopathology and complaints to strengths and possibilities, attention for the future as guide to the present also becomes more important. This contribution introduces an approach to spiritual care based on personal future stories. The research question is: How do people who receive psychiatric care portray their resilience and its development in stories about their desired future? In a qualitative analysis of 43 Letters from the Future of people who were admitted to a German psychiatric clinic, two forms of resilience appeared to occur: 1) a negative form aimed at distancing a problem situation in order to create room for a desired future; 2) a positive form aimed at vividly depicting a desired future situation as an alternative to a current concern. The chapter ends with a reflection on the implications of a forward-looking approach to the practice of spiritual care. Recognition of suffering remains important, but the starting point is shifted to a horizon of possibilities and the desire for a meaningful life.
| Translated title of the contribution | The imagination of resilience in future narratives from people receiving psychiatric care |
|---|---|
| Original language | Dutch |
| Title of host publication | Positieve Psychologie en Zingeving |
| Subtitle of host publication | Integratie en toepassingen |
| Editors | Walter Krikilion, Jos Pieper |
| Place of Publication | Tilburg |
| Publisher | KSGV |
| Chapter | 4 |
| Pages | 67-88 |
| Number of pages | 21 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-90-75886-61-0 |
| Publication status | Published - 2019 |