Journal of Counseling Research

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Aim: Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) is developed for clients who experience high levels of shame and self-criticism. CFT emphasizes the centrality of our affiliative system in reducing threat-based processing by allowing us to feel cared for and able to offer care to both ourselves and others. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effectiveness of CFT on shame and feeling of guilt among women with sexual abuse experience in childhood. Methods: The statistical population consisted of all women with Sexual Abuse experience in Childhood who had referred to counseling centers in Ahvaz. The research sample consisted of 3 women referred to counseling centers that were selected according to the results of the PTSD Checklist (Weathers, 1993) with cutoff point of 50 and with purposeful sampling method. In this research, a single-case experimental design, type of non-concurrent multiple baseline designs was used. To evaluate the shame and feeling of guilt, the state shame and guilt scale (SSGS) were used. The protocol of CFT was carried out in three phases of basic lines, intervention of 8 weekly sessions, and two months follow-up. Findings: The findings indicated that the subjects in the shame treatment phase experienced 31.20% improvement and in the guilt phase experienced  28.68% improvement. The effectiveness was maintained during the 2-month follow-up. The change index was indicative of meaningful changes. Conclusion: Therefore, the research findings illustrated that CFT is effective in decreasing of shame and feeling of guilt of women with sexual abuse experience in childhood, through decreasing reducing threat-based processing and strengthening the soothing system through the cultivation of compassion.

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Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of self-compassion-based mindfulness training on self-criticism, shame, and perceived stigma in substance-dependent individuals undergoing methadone maintenance treatment.
Methods: The research method was semi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The statistical population of the study included all drug-dependent patients treated with methadone who referred to addiction treatment centers in Kashan city in 2024. Among these, 32 people were selected by available sampling method and were randomly divided into two experimental (16 people) and control (16 people) groups. The participants of both groups completed self-criticism, external shame, and Substance Abuse Stigma Scale in the pre-test and post-test. Mindfulness training based on self-compassion was carried out on the experimental group in 8 90-minute sessions with the frequency of one session per week. The data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of covariance.
Findings: The results of multivariate covariance analysis showed that there is a significant difference between the two groups and mindfulness training based on self-compassion can reduce self-criticism and shame and improve perceived stigma in drug-dependent people undergoing methadone maintenance treatment.
Conclusion: According to the obtained results, experts in the field of addiction can emphasize the improvement of self-criticism, shame and the improvement of perceived stigma by using mindfulness training based on self-compassion.