Being the Holder of Hope: Cultivating Possibility and Resilience in Youth

Hope is the quiet voice that keeps us moving forward.

In challenging times, it’s more important than ever to focus on what truly matters — family, friends, and kindness.Share encouragement, show compassion, and create ripples of hope in someone’s life today.

How will you spread hope?

Remember , “Hope is a choice. It is saying yes to life.” — Ronna Jevne

Tom Bodett reminds us that to be truly happy, we need three things:

Someone to love

Something to do

Something to hope for

We all need something to hope for more now than ever.

Hope as a Shared Gift

Hope is not a solitary act — it’s a relational process that grows through connection.

As counsellors, we are cultivators of possibility and facilitators of healing.We help others rediscover meaning, strength, and agency.But sometimes, our deepest work is to hold hope when others can’t.

When youth feel lost in despair or uncertainty, we can gently carry that hope for them until they are ready or able to do so.This is sacred work — the quiet, steady act of being a holder of hope.

Therapists often describe this as holding space and holding hope — believing in someone’s future until they can believe in it themselves. It’s a powerful, silent promise:

“I will hold hope for you until you’re ready to hold it yourself.”

Ways to Spread Hope in the Lives of Youth

• Be a model of HOPE.

  Let your words and presence communicate possibility.

  
  
  
  

• Use hopeful language.

  “You’ve done hard things before.” “You will find a way through.”

  
  
  
  

• Encourage gratitude practices.

  Keep a “Hope & Gratitude” jar or board.

  
  
  
  

• Validate their experiences and pain.

  Validation is often the first step toward healing.

  
  
  
  

• Help youth build agency.

  Use Circles of Control activities and small goal-setting sheets.

  
  
  
  

• Teach self-advocacy and communication skills.

  Practice how to ask for help, say no, and express feelings safely.

  
  
  
  

• Highlight moments of strength and past resilience.

  
  
  
  

• Encourage journaling or expressive writing.

  “If Hope Could Talk…” or “The Day I Saw Light Again.”

  
  
  
  

• Model reframing.

  “This setback doesn’t define you — it prepares you.”

  
  
  
  

• Help them create visual reminders of hope.

  Photos, quotes, or symbols that reflect what matters most.

  
  
  
  

• Celebrate small wins.

  “You showed up today. That matters.”

  
  
  
  

• Encourage peer support and empathy projects.

  Youth learn hope by witnessing it in others.

  
  
  
  

As Counsellors, We Are…

• The ones who let hope beget hope.

  
  
  
  

• The ones who carry light when others can’t see it.

  
  
  
  

• The ones who believe in potential, not perfection.

  
  
  
  

• The ones who model patience and compassion when healing takes time.

  
  
  
  

• The ones who remind youth, “You are not your worst day.”

  
  
  
  

• The ones who help others reconnect with purpose, meaning, and belonging.

  
  
  
  

• The ones who stay steady when emotions rise, holding the calm centre in the room.

  
  
  
  

• The ones who create safety — emotionally, psychologically, and relationally.

  
  
  
  

• The ones who help build wraparound networks — mentors, peers, teachers, coaches — so no one walks alone.

  
  
  
  

• The ones who remind others that growth is not linear — and that hope can return in quiet, unexpected ways.

  
  
  
  

Being a counsellor means holding space for pain while holding hope for healing.

It’s a gift and a responsibility — a quiet faith in the resilience of the human spirit.

Creative Ideas for Educators

1. Classroom Hope Corners

Create a bulletin board or table with quotes, art, and “hope notes” where students can share kind messages or uplifting thoughts anonymously.

2. Hope Journals

Have each student decorate a small notebook for gratitude, dreams, or reflections. Use prompts like:

• “When I feel hopeful, I…”

  
  
  
  

• “Someone who gives me hope is…”

  
  
  
  

• “One thing I want to believe in again is…”

  
  
  
  

3. Hope Walls

Invite students to write or draw messages of encouragement and tape them to a wall — creating a visual mural of collective optimism.

4. Hope Bags or Boxes

As a class, fill small bags or boxes with items that symbolize hope — a feather, a quote, a drawing, or a word. Deliver them to students who may need encouragement.

5. Hope Bookmarks

Let students design bookmarks with hopeful quotes or affirmations to trade or gift to others.

6. Vision Boards or Digital Collages

Use Canva or old magazines to create “My Hope Story” boards — focusing on values, dreams, and future goals.

7. Random Acts of Hope

Assign a week of “hope challenges”:

• Leave a kind note.

  
  
  
  

• Say thank you to someone who helped you.

  
  
  
  

• Smile at three people today.

  
  
  
  

8. Guest Speakers of Hope

Invite individuals who’ve overcome adversity to share stories of courage and persistence.

9. Books of Hope

Start a small “Hope Shelf” in the classroom or library — stories of resilience, kindness, and inspiration.

10. Digital Hope Campaign

Students can create short videos, podcasts, or slideshows about “Where I See Hope.”

Additional Ideas for Counsellors

1. Hope Mapping:

Have students map their journey of challenges, supports, and future dreams — visually connecting where they’ve been and where they’re going.

2. Story Stones or Hope Tokens:

Invite youth to paint symbols of hope on stones. Each stone represents a strength or memory to keep close during hard times.

3. “Holding Hope” Cards:

Create affirmation or reflection cards that say things like:

• “I can’t see it yet, but I trust it’s coming.”

  
  
  
  

• “Someone believes in me.”

  
  
  
  

• “I’m learning to hold my own hope.”

  
  
  
  

4. Hope Letters:

Write a letter from future you to current you about what has gotten better and what you’ve learned.

5. Circle of Hope Group Activity:

Have each person share one thing that gives them hope and one thing they’d like to pass on to someone else.

6. Community Connection Projects:

Partner with local organizations for youth to volunteer or mentor others — hope grows through contribution.

7. Hope Playlist:

Ask students to create a playlist of songs that lift them up. Music can be a bridge to emotional regulation and optimism.

8. Visualization Practices:

Guided imagery: “Imagine a time when things felt lighter. What did hope look like then?”

9. Gratitude Boards:

Create shared or digital boards where students post what they’re thankful for — small wins matter.

10. “Hope Tree” Installation:

Hang leaves with written hopes, goals, or affirmations. Watch it grow as youth add their dreams.

The Science of Hope

Dr. Shane Lopez, author of Making Hope Happen, identified four core beliefs of hopeful people:

The future will be better than the present.

I have the power to make it so.

There are many paths to my goals.

None of them is free of obstacles.

These truths remind us: hope isn’t wishful thinking — it’s a practice of persistence, perspective, and possibility.

The Heart of Our Work

We, as counsellors and educators, help youth imagine what could be — and in doing so, hope is reborn.

Let’s continue to be the holders and cultivators of hope — planting seeds of possibility into the hearts of those we serve.

“Be passionate, fall madly in love with life… Offer yourself to the world — your energies, your gifts, your visions, your heart — with open-hearted generosity.”

— Parker Palmer

Tools You Can Use

Explore printable resources for educators, counsellors, and teens at:

Counsellor Talk Store

Because sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is hold hope — quietly, steadily — until it grows strong enough for someone else to carry.