Introduction <p>This study explores what family members of individuals with mental illness hope for, and how their hopes are shaped, sustained, or challenged through participation in a group-based psychoeducational intervention program for informal carers. Although hope is a key concept in recovery-oriented practice, little is known about the hopes of carers themselves, or how hope is supported through preventive interventions.</p> Method <p>The study draws on qualitative data from a questionnaire completed by 36 family members of individuals with mental illness participating in a group-based psychoeducational intervention program. Of these participants, three were subsequently interviewed according to realist-informed principles. In both cases, data was analyzed thematically.</p> Results <p>Family members’ hopes related to their loved one’s recovery, well-being, and societal inclusion, but also to regaining everyday roles, relationships, and identities that had been disrupted by mental illness. Hope was expressed as both a personal and a relational process, situated within wider social and structural contexts. Stories shared within the group played a central role in hope processes, functioning as mirrors (recognizing one’s experiences and feeling reflected in the words of others) and windows (seeing what one could become or might have been) that created perspective and a sense of shared humanity. However, some encounters were experienced as overwhelming or re-traumatizing.</p> Conclusion <p>Hope among family members is multifaceted, encompassing personal, relational, and structural dimensions. The findings underscore the importance of programs that actively support carers in sustaining hope as part of the broader recovery context.</p>