Hope-Based Interventions to Address Student Well-Being and Career Development

School counselors can integrate hope-fostering interventions into their work with students as part of a comprehensive, evidence-based school counseling program. In the past 2 decades, youth’s reported levels of hopelessness have increased significantly. Scholars have noted that hopelessness is linked to concerns in youth’s safety, mental health, and decision making; conversely, hope appears to be a protective factor for youth. Career development scholars have highlighted hope-centered work as a helpful approach for adult clients’ progress when they encounter personal and career-related challenges. Hope-Action Theory may hold promise for strengthening youths’ well-being and career development when adapted to meet pre-K–12 students’ developmental needs. In this conceptual article, we describe Hope-Action Theory, a theoretical and evidence-based approach to foster students’ hope and to address students’ well-being and career development. We include case illustrations for implementation in individual counseling, group counseling, and classroom lessons, and discuss implications for pre-K–12 school counselors.