ABSTRACT
I work with a client in her sixties who comes to see me every week for what I call a “dose of hope.” Each week we talk about her personal situation, and then she asks me to lay hands on her and bless her. She says this practice makes her feel very special. Her diagnosis is schizophrenia. Another woman, in her fifties and also diagnosed with schizophrenia, calls me when she is anxious to ask for a prayer over the phone. Her concerns are often health-related. A third woman, in her thirties, comes faithfully to an ecumenical Christian service held at the hospital. Her diagnosis is major depression, and she says she finds the services comforting. What do blessings, prayers, and religious services have in common that these women seek? I suggest they all offer hope.
