The Team

WHAT DO YOU DO?
I am an Assistant Professor of Counselling Psychology at the University of Alberta

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE WITH THE PROJECT?
With Dr. Larsen, I am a co-principal investigator with the SHARP-SMH team.

WHAT DREW YOU TO THE SHARP-SMH PROJECT?
My program of research falls under the broad umbrella of career-life development. Career development is about our lifelong journey of managing learning, work, and other life roles. Essentially, I hope that my research and practice can support people in creating the career-lives they hope for. SHARP-SMH is a program that supports both mental health and career-life development. I appreciate that hope is something that naturally has meaning for people–it’s not a psychological construct that you have to google to understand! Knowing that we can learn how to be more hopeful, and that hope will support our wellbeing and our flourishing in multiple life roles, feels really hopeful to me!

TELL US A FUN FACT ABOUT YOU!
I’ve lived in three provinces–Ontario, BC, and now Alberta

WHAT DO YOU DO?
I am a professor of counselling psychology and Associate Dean of Research in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta.

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE WITH THE PROJECT?
I co-lead the SHARP-SMH project with Dr. Hudson-Breen

WHAT DREW YOU TO THE SHARP-SMH PROJECT?
I have been working with and researching hope for more than twenty years. I am fascinated with how hope can be recruited as an ally when working toward good change and enhancing quality of life. Research with colleagues in educational and healthcare contexts is the focus of my work. My research with colleagues at Hope Studies has focused on the process of fostering hope across various helping professions including individual, group, couples, and peer counselling as well as in the classroom. I am intrigued by how our SHARP-SMH teacher researchers so skillfully adapt, develop, and implement hope within their diverse classroom.

TELL US A FUN FACT ABOUT YOU!
Perhaps a little embarrassing to admit, but with the onset of COVID, I have become quite the Lego fanatic. We now have a Lego village in our dining room. I have no idea what I’ll do with it once we can have dinner guests again!

WHAT DO YOU DO?
I am a doctoral student in the counselling psychology program at the University of Alberta. 

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE WITH THE PROJECT?
I am the research coordinator from the SHARP-SMH project and help keep our team organized and on track. 

WHAT ARE YOU INTERESTED IN (PROFESSIONALLY)?
My research interests include grief/loss, reproductive and maternal mental health, and hope. As a member of Hope Studies Central research lab, my dissertation topic specifically explores the experiences of hope for women who have miscarried.

TELL US A FUN FACT ABOUT YOU!
I am a yoga and hiking enthusiast and is also an assistant coach with the Team Canada Women’s Sitting Volleyball Team.

WHAT DO YOU DO?
I am a Ph.D candidate in counselling psychology at the University of Alberta.

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE WITH THE PROJECT?
I am a research assistant with the SHARP-SMH project and I help with data collection, analysis and writing on the project.

WHAT ARE YOU INTERESTED IN (PROFESSIONALLY)?
My research focuses on the lived experience of hope, especially for those with chronic health conditions. More broadly, I am interested in qualitative methodology and the intersection between positive psychology, health psychology and existential psychology.

WHAT DREW YOU TO THE SHARP-SMH PROJECT?

I have been a researcher at Hope Studies Central for seven years. Ever since I started graduate school, I have focused my attention on hope theory and research. As a student, instructor, and researcher, I learned that I love hearing about how people experience and make sense of hope.
Through the SHARP-SMH study, I hope to draw attention to the importance of hope in school communities and learn more about how teachers mobilize hope in their classrooms.

My recent publications have focused on the lived experiences of hope for youth workers and, more recently, an adaptation of SHARP for people with Parkinson Disease. My dissertation focuses on examining the lived experience of hope for people newly diagnosed with Parkinson Disease.

TELL US A FUN FACT ABOUT YOU!
I am a cat person who loves playing and watching soccer. I often get up ridiculously early on weekends to watch the premier league. I am an Arsenal fan.

WHAT DO YOU DO?
I am a first-year doctoral student in the Counselling Psychology Program at the University of Alberta.

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE WITH THE PROJECT?
I am a research assistant with the SHARP-SMH project, and I assist with literature review, data collection, and resource translation tasks in English and French. 

WHAT DREW YOU TO THE SHARP-SMH PROJECT?
My research interests tend to draw upon constructs from a positive psychology theoretical perspective, with the goal of optimizing mental and emotional flourishing. 

My Master’s thesis explored therapeutic effects of nature and music on the psychological health and wellbeing of attendees at a Canadian outdoor music festival. Moreover, my work as a Graduate Teaching Fellow, Graduate Teaching Assistant, and French Tutorial Leader over the course of my academic journey has nourished my ever-growing passion for educating others. As such, I am fascinated to learn about the role of hope-based interventions in the classroom setting in supporting positive mental health and emotional wellbeing for students and teachers.

TELL US A FUN FACT ABOUT YOU!
I am a vocalist and tambourine player in the rock band The Pxrtals with the best big brother a sister could ever ask for.

WHAT DO YOU DO?
I give workshops and presentations that share my knowledge about the
application of hope theory in conversation and storytelling.

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE WITH THE PROJECT?
I am a volunteer consultant. In the beginning, I assisted with
training the research team.

WHAT ARE YOU INTERESTED IN (PROFESSIONALLY)?
I continue to be interested in the challenge of finding hope in true
stories because hope gives us the power and motivation to make changes
we believe are important. I have found that when you work with hope,
it also works on you.

WHAT DREW YOU TO THE SHARP-SMH PROJECT?
I was asked to help because of my extensive experience using hope in
counselling and group facilitation. Many of the strategies used in
this project have grown out of the counselling practice I began at the
Hope Foundation of Alberta in 1995. That work was based on earlier
work by Ronna Jevne and others. My first hope group experience was a
project called Teacher Hope Initiative. Teachers on disability leave
gathered to find a hopeful way to embrace their future possibilities.
I was their hope facilitator, using the strategies I was developing in
supervised counselling practice. They taught me so much about the
hopeful aspects of being a teacher.

WHAT INTERESTS YOU ABOUT WORKING WITH HOPE?
I love the way that hope comforts people who are suffering or feeling
lost. Working with hope comes as naturally to me as breathing. I am
fascinated by the process by which you can make it grow by being
intentional about it. It’s a bit like growing an herb. You can foster
it from a seed and then the plant can be added to other mixtures. You
can also feel better just enjoying its beauty and the satisfaction of
bringing it to life. Hope can be a great help in counselling,
education and dealing with personal challenges. The SHARP strategies
aim to make the hope flourish.

TELL US A FUN FACT ABOUT YOU!
I coloured my hair for many years, believing it was important for me
to gain respect by looking young at work. An allergy forced me to give
it up. Ever since then, younger people have been asking how they can
make their hair the colour of mine.

WHAT DO YOU DO?
I have just obtained my masters in counselling psychology program at the University 

of Alberta and plan to work as a provisional registered psychologist soon. 

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE WITH THE PROJECT?
I am here to help with various tasks and be creative!!

WHAT ARE YOU INTERESTED IN (PROFESSIONALLY)?
My research interests include working with trauma, specifically posttraumatic growth, self-compassion, and hope. 

TELL US A FUN FACT ABOUT YOU!
I love Pixar movies.

WHAT DO YOU DO?
I am a masters student in the counselling psychology program at the University of Alberta. 

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE WITH THE PROJECT?
I am here to help with a little bit of everything.

WHAT ARE YOU INTERESTED IN (PROFESSIONALLY)?
Outside this project, my research so far has been in health psychology and LGBTQ+ studies. I received my bachelor’s degree in both psychology and art, and use both of these subjects in my research. My recent publications have included a drawing-based study on polycystic ovarian syndrome, and an investigation of what leads to bias against asexual people.

I am very new to the world of hope research, but in looking for research opportunities I saw a lot of potential with the SHARP-SMH project for integrating hope in my counselling practice. The more I learn, the more I love it!

TELL US A FUN FACT ABOUT YOU!
I can almost always be found with yarn in my hands – knitting and crocheting helps me focus!

WHAT DO YOU DO?
I am a student in the fourth year of my undergrad. I am majoring in Psychology, minoring in Philosophy, and am volunteering at two mental health support organizations: The Peer Support Centre and Unitea.

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE WITH THE PROJECT?
Assist with goals and objectives of the project.

WHAT DREW YOU TO THE SHARP-SMH PROJECT?
I am pursuing a career and education in counselling psychology and have found great interest in supporting others through hope and strength-based mental health support. The SHARP-SMH project is an incredible project with the ability to provide hope for a great many people and I am so happy to be a part of it.

TELL US A FUN FACT ABOUT YOU!
I taught myself to juggle while unicycling.

WHAT DO YOU DO?
I am currently teaching Grade 3 online in Edmonton Public Schools. I have been teaching for almost 20 years. I have spent most of my career teaching Grades 5 and 6. This year I am teaching Grade 3 online.

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE WITH THE PROJECT?
I have been teaching hope in my classroom  for over 10 years.  I use the concept of hope in the way I design my classroom environment and my teaching style.  I am working with the research team to create user friendly lessons to help teachers bring hope to their students and realize that it is not “one more thing” they need to do, but a way to improve student engagement and mental health.

WHAT DREW YOU TO THE SHARP-SMH PROJECT?
I initially began working with hope as a way for my students to inquire and explore the question “What is hope?” and like a true inquiry question, it snowballed into an amazing learning experience for me and my students. I have found that teaching through a hope-focused lens allows me to connect with all of my students and create learning experiences in which students of all ability levels can experience success.

TELL US A FUN FACT ABOUT YOU!
I have worn an Olympic Gold medal from the 2010 Olympics.

WHAT DO YOU DO?
I am responsible for overseeing students in a large urban high school with identified special needs or barriers to their learning. I liaise with staff, parents, and students to ensure their success in high school.

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE WITH THE PROJECT?
I am helping to develop lessons for Division 3 and 4 students, as well as providing feedback and ideas for the team.

WHAT DREW YOU TO THE SHARP-SMH PROJECT?
So often it is easy to get lost in what is going wrong, and feel like you are not making a difference. Keeping a focus on hope is helping me hold a different perspective on the work I do with students, and helps me work with them to find their own sources of hope in their lives.

Professionally, I am interested in learning more about restorative justice practices and implementing them in my everyday practice

TELL US A FUN FACT ABOUT YOU!
I went on a trip to Nepal when I was in grade 9. We did a 10 day trek into the Himalayas–it changed my life!

WHAT DO YOU DO?
I teach Grades 10-12 in Edmonton Public Schools. I support students with identified complex needs and teach Knowledge and Employability English and Occupational courses.

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE WITH THE PROJECT?
I am developing resources for the SHARP framework for Division 4 and providing feedback to the research team.

WHAT DREW YOU TO THE SHARP-SMH PROJECT?
Implementing hope in the classroom supports all students. What drew me to the SHARP-SMH project was the ability to explicitly teach students how to face life’s challenges with hope and strength.

TELL US A FUN FACT ABOUT YOU!
I love downhill skiing and my guilty pleasure is reality TV shows!

WHAT DO YOU DO?
I teach Grade Two French Immersion with Edmonton Catholic Schools.

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE WITH THE PROJECT?
I work with the research team to build lessons, activities and resources teachers can use in their classrooms to infuse hope into the everyday lives of their students.

WHAT DREW YOU TO THE SHARP-SMH PROJECT?
As a second language teacher, I am very interested in explicit skills teaching. What interests me about working with hope is learning about the ways we can teach children to access hope very explicitly, while also fostering a hopeful environment in the classroom implicitly.

TELL US A FUN FACT ABOUT YOU!
I love pottery!

WHAT DO YOU DO?
I teach Social Studies in Grades 10-12 in Edmonton Public Schools.

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE WITH THE PROJECT?
I work with the research team and my colleagues at my school to help build resources and give feedback to the team to enhance research in hope practices.

WHAT DREW YOU TO THE SHARP-SMH PROJECT?
The draw in to working for the SHARP-SMH project was the atmosphere and practice tools created by the research team to use explicit tools and lessons around hope and the power of hope.

In my field of work, hope is something that can be drained as the results are not always immediate nor may we ever see them. In communicating, working and learning together this project has taught me ways to come back to hope in my personal and professional life. Furthermore, that hope practices operate in ebbs and flows.

TELL US A FUN FACT ABOUT YOU!
I once took 13 flights in 14 days.