The Effectiveness of Counseling Program Based on Positive CBT in Improving Happiness and Life Satisfaction for Children Who have Lost Family Care

Abstract

The study aims to investigate the effectiveness of a counseling program based on positive cognitive behavioral counseling in improving the level of happiness and life satisfaction for children without family care in Palestine. The study adopts the experimental approach through a quasi-experimental design, and uses two scales to collect data: The Oxford Happiness Scale and the Life Satisfaction Scale. The study population consists of all children without family care in SOS Children's Villages Palestine, numbering 134 children, according to the SOS Children's Villages statistics for the year 2025. The sample size is 22 children who obtained the lowest scores on the happiness and life satisfaction scales, and they were divided equally through pairing according to their scores on the two study scales. The results show that the adjusted average for the experimental group that used the applied counseling program to improve happiness and life satisfaction among children without family care was higher for both variables compared to the control group. This indicates that the applied counseling program was effective in improving happiness and life satisfaction among children without family care. The effect size for the counseling program is (.928; .889), respectively. The results also show differences in happiness and life satisfaction between the pre- and post-measurements of the study individuals on the happiness scale, and an improvement in the level of life satisfaction in the post-measurement, which confirms the effectiveness of the program in improving happiness and life satisfaction among children without family care. The study recommends the generalization of the application of counseling programs based on positive cognitive behavioral counseling in residential institutions and care homes that provide services to children without family care, due to their effective impact on improving children's mental health.