The Effectiveness of Group Counseling on the Self-Esteem of Adolescent Girls

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to measure the effectiveness of a wellness-based group counseling intervention on the self-esteem of 8th grade girls. The intervention included seven 35-minute group counseling session. Each session focused on one (1) aspect of the Wellness Wheel (Myers, Sweeney & Witmer, 2000), and included an educational activity, such as collaging, role-playing, and career exploration. The study was conducted in the counseling department of a suburban middle school with 8th grade girls (n = 5). A pretest posttest design was utilized. Measurement included a researcher-created, Likert-scale questionnaire, which was completed by the participants during the first and last session of the intervention. Time and attendance and sample size were limitations to the study. Though improvement was shown in nearly all questionnaire items, few were statistically significant. Despite lack of statistical support, participants described enjoyment in wellness-based counseling and the discovery of new personal strengths, which should be considered for future research.