How Strength-based Counseling effects on Self-Compassion and Future Time Perspective in Adolescents?

Self-compassion helps adolescents to accept themselves unconditionally and Future Time Perspective (FTP) can make them motivated to do their meaningful tasks in the future. The method was a semi-experimental method (pre-test –post-test research) with the control group. The statistical population of the study consisted of ۶,۲۳۲ male students (۱۴-۱۶ years of age) in the ۱۳th district of Tehran (Iran), the sample size was ۳۰ people who were selected by the available sampling method and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Two questionnaires include the self-compassion of Neff (۲۰۰۳) and the FTP of Brothers, Chui& Diehl (۲۰۱۴) these will be administered three times, a pre-test, a post-test, and a follow-up test. Group counseling was held in twelve sessions for the experimental group for three months, the collected data from the pretest, posttest, and follow-up were analyzed by SPSS software with the help of factorial mixed design with repeated measures. The results show the effectiveness of strength-based group counseling on self-compassion (self-kindness, common humanity, mindfulness, and over-identification) and FTP (opportunities, limitations, and ambiguities) after three months of group counseling. Finding signature strengths (five highest strengths) through analyzing life’s experiences helps students to be aware of what they can do well, to learn how they can make decisions about their future, based on character strengths, and to accept their limitations without self-censure.

Keywords:

Future time perspective , Self-compassion , Strength-based group counseling