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How do we hold onto hope when working with children, young people and families in complex situations, especially when systems can feel overwhelming or even hopeless? And why does this matter for practice? 

Led by Dr Jala Rizeq (University of Glasgow) and Adelaide O’Mahony (UK Trauma Council), the session will unpack how hope and future possibilities can bring meaning and purpose for young people in complex and adverse settings, and those who support them. 

Drawing on research into mass traumatic events in schools, future thinking with young people in war-affected regions, and evidence on recovery, this session explores how our capacity to imagine the future shapes our ability to persist through adversity. We will consider why trauma affects not only how people understand their past and present, but also how they imagine their future. 

Together, we'll reflect on: 

• Why future thinking is fundamental to young people's wellbeing and development 
• The difference between passive optimism and critical hope 
• Practical ways to support and sustain hope in everyday practice with children, young people and families 
• Whether you work directly with children and young people or support those who do, this session offers an opportunity to explore how fostering hope can become an intentional part of trauma-informed, relational practice.

About Dr Jala Rizeq 

Jala is a member of the UK Trauma Council and Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology and Academic Director for the University of Glasgow Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. Prior to joining the Mental Health and Wellbeing Unit in 2021, Jala completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, where she conducted clinical work and research with a particular focus on families’ mental health and wellbeing during COVID-19. Jala’s primary research focus is on identifying mechanistic pathways linking stress and trauma with mental health outcomes, with a particular focus on care-experienced populations. She is also interested in examining young people’s future thinking and its intersection with wellbeing and psychopathology. 

About Adelaide O’Mahony 

Adelaide is an accredited psychotherapist with the Community Psychotherapy Network and Senior Impact and Engagement Manager at the UK Trauma Council, part of Anna Freud. Alongside her clinical work, she supports companies to use a systemic approach to team and organisational culture.  

Adelaide is a Churchill Fellow, researching how individuals and communities recover after large-scale traumatic events such as violence and natural disasters in schools and colleges. Her research has focused on how hope is found again after it has been shaken or lost.