| Imagery is a healing modality that has been used for many decades in psychotherapy and, most recently, in mind-body medicine and has been studied with many populations. Imagery has been shown to be a positive psychological intervention for many health care populations. The purpose of this research was to support stroke survivors in creating their own healing imagery and to determine whether imagery impacts levels of hope.;An exploratory, mixed-method, multiple case study was conducted with a group of 7 stroke survivors under the age of 65. Specific questions guided the imagery in which they were asked to imagine doing something they loved that involved movement of the part of their body affected by the stroke. State hope was measured before and after each imagery training session, and trait hope was measured pre- and postimagery intervention. Participants were interviewed regarding subjective experiences of benefits.;Results showed state hope and trait hope tended to increase over the duration of the imagery intervention. Participants experienced the greatest increase in state hope when comparing pre- and postimagery intervention in the first session (p < .05), with the agency component showing the greatest change (p < .10). On a 10-point scale, 6 of the 7 participants reported the imagery to be emotionally beneficial (M = 7.8) and physically beneficial (M = 7.8). Three participants executed physical movement during the imagery without conscious knowledge they were doing so, suggesting physical or visuospatial neglect may be involved in some right hemispheric stroke survivors who engage in imagery. Content analysis of the imagery sessions and interviews discovered 6 themes in the imagery: pleasure, sadness, something is changing, movement, nature, and industriousness. Three themes were identified in the interviews: personal struggles, use of art to heal, and hope and optimism.;Imagery may be a beneficial treatment to consider in stroke rehabilitation of young stroke survivors. Benefits include psychological improvements as reported by young stroke survivors such as relaxation and increased state and trait hope; and physical improvements as reported by young stroke survivors include increased mobility and range of motion. Further research in this area is suggested. |
