Conversations with Eeyore: spirituality and the generation of hope among mental health providers.

A growing body of research has highlighted the value of spiritual resources for patients and their families. However, spirituality has been largely overlooked as a source of hope and support for providers themselves. In this paper, the author draws on theory, research, and practical examples to suggest that spirituality could potentially assist providers struggling to generate and sustain their own hope in work with clients who are in the midst of despair. The paper focuses on three ways practitioners might access spiritual resources to facilitate hope in their work: (1) by illuminating the sacred character of mental health work; (2) by attending to the sacred dimension of clients' lives; and (3) by attending to the experience of sacred moments in the healing relationship. These resources may be of value not only to theistically-oriented practitioners but to nontheists as well.