Faculty Colloquium Series with Dr Teresa Maynes, Assistant Professor, Psychology

Work is important for long-term substance use recovery, yet career development
is largely absent from addiction research and treatment. Hope-Action Theory
(HAT) offers a strengths-based framework for understanding how people build
sustainable careers. This talk will present findings from a randomized controlled
trial comparing an 8-week HAT-based counselling group with a standard
employment skills group for adults with a history of substance use. Results show
that hope-based career counselling improved psychological resources associated
with future-oriented outlooks. The presentation will highlight interventions used
in hope-focused career counselling and demonstrate how career theory can be
translated into evidence-based practice.

Dr. Maynes completed her PhD in counselling psychology at the University of
British Columbia in 2025 and recently joined StMU as an assistant professor of
Psychology.