Effectiveness of Counseling Program based on Self-Compassion in Developing Positive Thinking and Tolerance among Children with Adverse Childhood Experiences in Jerusalem

Abstract

The study aims to examine the effectiveness of a counseling program based on self-compassion in developing positive thinking and tolerance among children with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in Jerusalem, using a quasi-experimental method on a sample of (26) private school students who scored the highest on Childhood Trauma Scale and the lowest on the Positive Thinking and Tolerance Scales, after dividing them equally into two groups: experimental and control, and applying the counseling program to the experimental group over (12) sessions, with two sessions per week, each lasting (90) minutes. The results revealed statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups in the post-test measurements of positive thinking and tolerance, favoring the experimental group. Statistically significant differences were also found between the pre-test and post-test scores within the experimental group, favoring the post-test, with an effect size of (η² = .856), indicating a large effect that reflects the strong impact of implemented counseling program in enhancing positive thinking and tolerance among children with adverse childhood experiences, especially for those who have been physically abused. However, no significant differences were found between the post-test and follow-up measurements within the experimental group, indicating the sustained effectiveness of the counseling program in improving positive thinking and tolerance even after an eight-week follow-up period. Based on these findings, the study recommended applying the developed counseling program to other populations and for similar or different counseling purposes.