The experience of hope for domestic violence support workers.

This study explored the lived experience of hope for domestic violence support workers. A hermeneutic-phenomenological approach was used to collect and analyze the experiences of six professional women, ages 37 through 69. Four themes, each with sub-themes, emerged from the findings. One theme, Hope is Visceral, reveals the phenomenology of hope as experienced through bodily sensations, reactions, and emotions. A second theme, Hope is Contextual, describes how experiences of hope are enhanced by personal perspectives and social environments. A third theme, Hope is Mutual, reveals how interactions with other people inspire a sense of hope. A fourth theme, Hope is a Journey, illustrates how hope evolved over the years to reveal new understandings of what it means to live hopefully. The findings are discussed in relation to the current literature. Implications for counselling, counsellor education, service provider organizations, and suggestions for future research are presented.