The Effect of Solution-Focused Group Counseling on Adolescents' Self-Compassion Levels

Abstract

The aim of the study was to examine the impact of solution-focused group counseling on the self-compassion levels of adolescents. A six-session solution-focused group counseling program was developed for middle school students to achieve the objectives of the study. Prior to the intervention, the Self-Compassion Scale Short Form was administered to 297 seventh and eighth-grade students. Based on their scores, 24 students with low self-compassion levels were randomly selected and assigned to either the experimental or control groups. The experimental group participated in the counselling program, while the control group did not receive any counselling. Post-test assessments were conducted after the sessions, followed by a three-month follow-up. The results indicated a significant increase in self-compassion levels among students who underwent the counseling program, and these improvements were maintained over the three-month follow-up period. No significant changes were observed in the control group. Thus, solution-focused group counseling is an effective intervention for enhancing self-compassion among adolescents.

Keywords

• Adolescence
• self-compassion
• solution-focused theory
• group counseling

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