The Effectiveness of a Counselling Program in Reducing the Death Anxiety and Improving Self-Efficacy Among a Sample of Female Middle-Aged Teachers Recovered from COVID-19 Virus

Abstract

This study explored the effectiveness of a counselling program in reducing the death anxiety and improving self-efficacy among a sample of female middle-aged teachers recovered from COVID-19 virus in Jordan. The latter program is based on cognitive behavioural therapy. The sample consists from 22 female middle-aged teachers recovered from COVID-19 virus. The ages of those children range between 35 and 50 years. The study was carried out during the year 2020–2021. The chosen teachers were divided into two groups randomly (i.e. control and experimental groups). The experimental group consists from 11 teachers who were enrolled in the proposed counselling program that is based on cognitive behavioural therapy. This program consists from 16 sessions. The control group consists from 11 teachers who were not enrolled in the proposed counselling program. The death anxiety and self-efficacy scales were used before and after implementing the program. They were used after 4 weeks since the date of finishing the implementation of the program. The researchers found that there are significant differences – at the significance level of (a ≤ 0.05) – between the control and experimental groups in terms of the death anxiety and self-efficacy levels for the favour of the experimental group. The researchers found that there is a need to use this program due to the impact of this program on the experimental group after 1 month since the date of finishing the implementation of the program.

Keywords

counselling program death anxiety self-efficacy COVID-19

Introduction

More attention must be provided to teachers. That is because teachers play a significant role in making educational developments. All educators believe that teachers serve as a fundamental element of the educational process. Teachers can create opportunities for raising the learners’ self-confidence and creativity levels. They can create opportunities for enabling the learners to show higher academic achievement levels.

Good teachers serve as the basis for developing societies. Thus, more attention must be shown to the academic and professional development of teachers. More attention must be showed to the promotion of favourable values and beliefs among teachers. That shall allow teachers to do their studies efficiently (Abdel Al-Wahab‎, 2007).

Teachers’ self-efficacy level affects their performance when doing activities in classroom. It affects the amount of effort they exert in classroom. It affects the ability of teachers to handle stress at workplace. It affects the ambition of teachers. The teachers who enjoy high self-efficacy levels are more motivated to work than other teachers (Al-Hajraf, 2021).

Self-efficacy is proposed through the social cognitive theory. It has been receiving increasing attention during the last couple of years. That is because self-efficacy affects one’s achievement level and capability to control the surrounding events. Self-efficacy affects one’s acts to meet the intended goals (Al-Ersan, 2017). George et al. (2018) adds that self-efficacy plays a major role in determining the practices carried out by teachers. Self-efficacy affects teachers’ job satisfaction and desire to develop themselves professionally. It affects’ teachers’ teaching performance (George et al., 2018).

The development of the term (self-efficacy) is a major development in the field of psychology. That is because one cannot hold a discussion about motivation, self-organization and achievement without mentioning self-efficacy (Faraj, 1999). The latter term was developed by Albert Bandura through his theory that’s titled (the social cognitive theory). The latter theory suggests that one can control his/her behaviours, emotions, and ideas and exert effort to do the tasks assigned to him/her (Bandura, 1994).

Perceived self-efficacy refers to a set of beliefs that one has about his capabilities to show a specific performance when doing certain tasks that affect their lives (Pajares & Miller, 1994). Self-efficacy affects three levels. Those levels are as follows: 1) selecting situations, 2) the effort exerted by one and 3) showing persistence in overcoming the difficulties (Al-Rabee’, 2020). Self-efficacy refers to one’s capability to organize, manage and control his/her performance in all situations, especially the new situations (Mahmoud, 2005).

Vasil adds that self-efficacy refers to the way in which one perceives his/her capabilities to do certain acts successfully. Such perception is formed through various social experiences (Saeed, 2012). Vasil adds that self-efficacy is a cognitive term that contributes to shaping one’s behaviours and that self-efficacy affects the behaviour that one shows for handling difficulties. Self-efficacy affects the amount of power and effort that one dedicates for handling difficulties (Mu’amareyeh‎, 2012). Also, self-efficacy refers to a personal judgement for the teachers’ capability to use specific methods to reach certain teaching performance (Zimmerman, 1994).

Self-efficacy has been receiving much attention by teachers. That is because self-efficacy level shall affect the teachers’ ability to develop students’ capabilities in all fields. It is because self-efficacy level shall affect the teachers’ achievement and performance effectiveness when dealing with many tasks (Abed Al-Qader, 2020).

Teachers play a significant role in school. For instance, teachers’ personalities, development, love for studies and desire to benefit students affect the success of the educational process. Teachers serve as mentors and guides for students. They serve as role models for students. Banadura adds that teachers are responsible for creating an educational environment that foster the development of students’ cognitive skills. Creating this environment is affected by the teachers’ capabilities and self-efficacy levels (Al-Ahmadi, 2016).

Voelk and Michael (2004) adds that the teachers enjoying a high self-efficacy level have numerous characteristics. For instance, those teachers have a great sense of achievement and sense of responsibility. They have a great decision making ability and expect positive things from others. Weiskopf (1980) adds that teachers of high self-efficacy level have clear expectations from their students in terms of performance and behaviours (Mu’amareyeh, 2012).

Self-efficacy affects the teachers’ ability to achieve, amount of effort to do tasks and selection of tasks. He adds that self-efficacy affects the teachers’ persistence and flexibility levels. The latter levels affect the teachers’ ability to handle difficulties. They affect the duration needed for doing tasks (Pajares, 1996).

The term (self-efficacy) is affected by psychological procedures. Those procedures contribute to raising one’s self-efficacy. Self-efficacy refers to one’s belief and perception for his performance efficiency and effectiveness, potentials and capabilities. Such belief and perception are formed based on one’s cognitive, mental, emotional, and neurological, physiological potentials when handling situations and doing tasks in the aim of meeting the intended goals under specific environmental limitations (Hakma, 2019). Women’s self-efficacy plays a significant role in enabling women to handle various problems and avoid various disorders. Such disorders include post-traumatic disorder and death anxiety (Al-Momani and Al-Husban, 2021).

Death anxiety

Anxiety is amongst the most common terms in psychology. That is because anxiety is experienced by all people throughout life. It is because anxiety experienced by all people throughout the development of their personalities. It is necessary to experience little anxiety in order to enjoy psychological wellbeing. Experiencing little anxiety shall motivate one to made achievements in life. It allows one to sense the existence of risks before facing them. Examining one’s anxiety levels plays a major role in examining one’s psychological wellbeing (Hanton et al., 2002).

Fear from death is a major mechanism in all creatures that contributes to protecting their lives. It is a signal that allows one to act carefully. All creatures experience this fear when facing a threat to their lives. The responses of people towards this fear vary from one person to another. Fear of death is experienced when people face major diseases, or threats that may lead to death (Abed Al-Fattah, 2004).

Death anxiety is associated with many diseases (e.g. HIV and COVID-19 virus). It is strongly associated with physical wellbeing regardless of one’s age. Therefore, one can notice that there are differences between the way in which old people, middle-aged people and children perceive the COVID-19 virus (Al-Shwaikh, 2009). The way people handle the COVID-19 infections vary from one person to another due to the variation in terms of received support, self-efficacy level, experience and hardiness (Abu Obaid, 2019).

Death anxiety is the type of anxiety that is most complicated amongst other types of anxiety. It is the most influential shock that threatens one’s life. It makes one fear death, harm and pain (Abu Salhah & Izzat, 2013) (Al-Tarawneh, 2021). The symptoms of death anxiety include a set of emotions, such as feelings of fears, and anxiety, and feeling annoyed and panic (Ahmad, 2009). They include feeling very depressed, experiencing insomnia, sadness and pessimism (Ibrahim, 2010). The death anxiety may manifest in a couple of cognitive symptoms. The latter symptoms include low concentration level and poor ability to retrieve information. They include poor problem solving capability, failure to make decisions, irrational thoughts and obsessive motives (Al-Tarawneh, 2021).

Templer (1970) adds that death anxiety is an emotional response that involves feelings that are opposite to the feelings of happiness, and joy. He adds that death anxiety involves experiencing fear from death. Nienaber and Goedereis (2015) add that death anxiety is a negative emotional response that is associated with fears from death. Tavakoli and Behroo (2011) define death anxiety as a feeling that involve instability, feeling annoyed and fears due to having real or imaginary risks of dying. Death anxiety defines as a state that involves feelings of distress when addressing issues related to the death of oneself or his/her family members. Such feelings affect one’s psychological wellbeing, obligations, performance and daily life functions (Abbas, 2020).

Experiencing death anxiety has several negative impacts. Such impacts include low self-efficacy, self-esteem, and mental welfare levels. They include lack of goals in life (Dadfar et al., 2016). They include feeling anxious constantly, discomfort, and thinking about death and after death. Death anxiety is considered a major cause behind psychological disorders (Frankl, 2004).

There has been an increase in the number of the studies that shed a light on the factors that affect the performance efficiency of teachers. Based on many studies, teachers’ self-efficacy is positively correlated with several factors (e.g. job satisfaction, motivation and self-confidence). In the light of having many female teachers in Jordan infected with COVID-19 virus, the levels of stress and anxiety (especially death anxiety) among those teachers have increased. There is a need to take measures to handle the psychological crisis experienced by people due to the Coronavirus crisis. They add that there is a need to take measures to handle the psychological disorders experienced by people due to the Coronavirus crisis. (Damirchi et al., 2020)

Hence, the researchers believe that there is a need to explore the effectiveness of a counselling program in reducing the death anxiety and improving self-efficacy among a sample of female middle-aged teachers recovered from COVID-19 virus in Jordan. The latter program is based on cognitive behavioural therapy. The researchers developed the following hypotheses:

H0.1. There is not any significant difference – at the significance level of (a≤ 0.05) – between the mean of the control group and the mean of the experimental group on the self-efficacy post-scale.

H0.2. There is not any significant difference – at the significance level of (a≤ 0.05) – between the mean of the control group and the mean of the experimental group on the death anxiety post-scale.

H0.3. There is not any significant difference – at the significance level of (a≤ 0.05) – between the means of the experimental group on the self-efficacy and death anxiety post-scales and following up scales.

The study’s objectives

This study aimed to

1- Reduce the death anxiety among the female middle-aged teachers recovered from COVID-19 virus in Jordan through using cognitive behavioural therapy.

2- Raise the self-efficacy level of the female middle-aged teachers recovered from COVID-19 virus in Jordan through using cognitive behavioural therapy.

3- Check whether the proposed program is effective in reducing the death anxiety and raising the self-efficacy level of the female middle-aged teachers recovered from COVID-19 virus in Jordan. This program is based on cognitive behavioural therapy.

Methodology

Approach

A semi-experimental approach was adopted.

Community

The community consists of 247 female teachers how recovered from COVID-19 virus in Amman.

Sample

The sample consists from 22 female middle-aged teachers recovered from COVID-19 virus in Amman. Those teachers show a mean that is higher than average on the death anxiety scale. They show a mean that is lower than average on the self-efficacy scale. The chosen teachers were divided into two groups randomly by simple random method (i.e. control and experimental groups). The experimental group consists of 11 teachers who were enrolled in the proposed counselling program that is based on cognitive behavioural therapy. This program consists of 16 sessions; it applied on the school as to session weekly and took 2 months. The control group consists of 11 teachers who were not enrolled in the proposed counselling program. Also, to check if there are no differences between the groups on the pre-test, Mann–Whitney test was applied. Table 1 presents the results.

Table 1.

The Extent of Equivalence Between the Control and Experimental Groups in Terms of the Self-Efficacy and Death Anxiety Levels on the Pre-Tests.

Scale	Group	N	Mean rank	Sum of rank	Mann–Whitney (U)	Z	Sig
Self-efficacy	Experimental	11	13.66	152.50	34.50	−1.72	0.09
Self-efficacy	Control	11	9.14	100.50
Death anxiety	Experimental	11	10.05	110.50	44.50	−1.05	0.29
Death anxiety	Control	11	12.95	142.50

Based on Table 1, there is not any significant difference – at the significance level of (a ≤ 0.05) – between the average ranks of the control group and the experimental groups on the self-efficacy and death anxiety post-tests. That indicates that both groups show equivalent self-efficacy and death anxiety levels. That was concluded before carrying out the experiment. The experimental group was chosen from School in Amman.

Data Collection Tools

First: The Self-Efficacy Scale

The researchers conducting this study adapted the self-efficacy scale from Al-Hajraf (2021); Al-Rabee’ (2020), Taym (2019), Al-Balawi (2009) and Bandur (1994). The scale is comprised of 27 items, each of which participants rated on a five-point scale, from 1 (‘strongly disagree’) to 5 (‘strongly agree’). Higher scores reflect a higher level of self-efficacy. The researchers extracted the validity and reliability by applying the scale on 50 participants form other school and found that the discriminate evidence ranged between 0.60 and 0.84. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.84, then 0.86 at the retest 3 weeks later.

Second: The Death Anxiety Scale

The researchers conducting this study adapted the death anxiety scale from Al-Fanjari (2020), Abu Obaid (2019), Saif (2016), Al-Imam (2016), and Al-Kharshah (2015). The scale is comprised of 26 items, each of which participants rated on a five-point scale, from 1 (‘strongly disagree’) to 5 (‘strongly agree’). Higher scores reflect a higher level of death anxiety. The researchers extracted the validity and reliability by applying the scale on 50 participants form other school and found that the discriminate evidence ranged between 0.52 and 0.83. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.87, then 0.90 at the retest 3 weeks later.

Third: The Proposed Program that is Based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

The proposed program is based on cognitive behavioural therapy. It aims at reducing the death anxiety and improving self-efficacy among a sample of female middle-aged teachers recovered from COVID-19 virus in Jordan. It is psychological therapeutic training program that is carried out for a short period of time. The targeted ages in this program range between (35–50) years. The program targets the ones who have average level of death anxiety and low level of self-efficacy. It aims at enabling the targeted teachers to reduce their death anxiety and raise their self-efficacy. That shall positively affect the teachers’ social and personal lives.

The Goals of the Program

This Program Aims to

- Promote knowledge among the participants about the meaning of self-efficacy and death anxiety.

- Provide the participants with knowledge about the way of enjoying a high self-efficacy.

- Allowing the participants to reduce their death anxiety levels

- Activating the role of the participants at workplace

- Allowing the participants to raise their self-efficacy levels

- Allowing the participants to get rid of irrational thoughts

- Allowing the participants to improve their ability to express ideas in a balanced rational manner

The proposed program was passed to five experts in order to assess it and make comments about it, and the changes were made if three experts pointed on it, such as: add three sessions on the program, and add some techniques. Also, they approve and verifying the program and its sessions. Those experts are specialized in counselling and psychology. The researchers presented – in appendix 1 – brief information about the sessions of the program.

Statistical Analysis

SPSS v.21 was used to analyse the data. To test the first and second hypotheses, Mann–Whitney test were used, while to test the third hypothesis, Wilcoxon Method Pairs Signed test were used.

The Study’s Variables

- The independent variable: It is the counselling program

- The dependent variables: They are self-efficacy and death anxiety

Results

The Effectiveness of a Counselling Program in Reducing the Death Anxiety and Improving Self-Efficacy

To test the above hypotheses, Mann–Whitney test was carried out. The results of this test are shown in the Table 2.

Table 2.

The Results of Mann–Whitney test for Testing the First Hypothesis.

Dependent variable	Group	N	Mean rank	Sum of rank	Mann–Whitney	Z	Sig	Impact
Self-efficacy	Experimental	11	15.23	167.50	19.50	−2.69	0.01	0.32
Self-efficacy	Control	11	7.27	85.50	19.50	−2.69	0.01	0.32
Death anxiety	Experimental	11	8.59	94.50	28.50	−2.11	0.04	0.35
Death anxiety	Control	11	14.41	158.50	28.50	−2.11	0.04	0.35

Based on Table 2, it was found that there is a significant difference – at the significance level of (a ≤ 0.05) – between the means of the control group and the experimental group on the self-efficacy and death anxiety post-scales. The latter difference is for the favour of the experimental group. That is because the Mann–Whitney values are 19.50 and 28.50 which is statistically significant with analysis power of 0.99 and 0.96. That is attributed to the effectiveness of the proposed program. Hence, the first null hypotheses are rejected, and the alternative hypotheses are accepted.

The Following up of the Self-Efficacy and Death Anxiety

To test the above hypothesis, Wilcoxon Method Pairs Signed test was carried out for the death anxiety and self-efficacy post-scales and following up scales. The result of this test is shown in the Table 3.

Table 3.

The Results of the Wilcoxon Method Pairs Signed test for the Death Anxiety and Self-Efficacy Post-Scales and Following up Scales for Testing the Third Hypothesis.

Scale	Distribution of ranks	Number of ranks	Average of ranks	Sum of ranks	Z value	Sig
Self-efficacy	Negative	8	6.75	54.00	−1.87	0.06
	Positive	3	4.00	12.00
	Equivalent	0
Death anxiety	Negative	8	5.25	42.00	−0.81	0.42
	Positive	3	8.00
	Equivalent	0

Based on Table 3, it was found that there is not any significant difference – at the significance level of (a ≤ 0.05) – between the means of the experimental group on the self-efficacy and death anxiety post-scales and following up scales. Thus, it was found that the positive effect of the program remained after 4 weeks since the date of finishing the implementation of the program. Thus, the third null hypothesis is rejected and the alternative hypothesis is accepted. It means that the proposed program contributes to improving the self-efficacy levels and reducing death anxiety levels of the female teachers enrolled in it.

Discussion

Discussion Related to the First and Second Hypothesis

There are significant differences – at the significance level of (a≤ 0.05) – between the mean of the control group and the experimental group on the self-efficacy and death anxiety post-scales.

The effectiveness of the counselling can be attributed to exercises, methods and activities in the latter program in raising the self-efficacy level. Those counselling exercises, methods and activities allowed the teachers to re-think about their acts and thoughts. They allowed the teachers to re-assess the stress they were facing in a positive manner. They allowed the teachers to adjust their thoughts, and beliefs to become positive. They raised the self-awareness of teachers. They affected the teachers’ behavioural in real life situations. That applies to the situations at workplace and home. Those counselling exercises, methods and activities affected the teachers’ social relationships, attitudes, motives and capabilities to succeed and make achievements. They positively affected the teachers’ self-efficacy, work productivity and creativity.

The latter result could be attributed to the fact that the members of the experimental group were provided with support and encouraged by the counsellor. It could be attributed to the fact that the members of the experimental group interacted with each other and acquired opportunities to release their emotions, raise their self-awareness levels, and carry out role playing activities. It could be attributed to the fact that the members of the experimental group engaged in discussions and received positive feedback from the counsellor. It could be attributed to the counselling relationship that is based on respect, understanding, dialogue and discussion. It could be attributed to the need of the teachers for identifying methods that allow them to adapt with the family and workplace environments and feel motivated.

The latter result is in agreement with the ones reached by Ali (2021), Al-Hajraf (2021), and Al-Khawajah (2016). Identifying the methods that allow the teachers to raise their self-efficacy levels and adapt effectively shall improve their psychological wellbeing. It shall allow the teachers to feel more comfortable and capable of being productive. The latter result is in agreement with the ones reached by Al-Momani and Husban (2021). The latter researchers found that the Adlerian therapy is effective is raising the self-efficacy levels of the female Syrian women who suffered from violence.

The latter result is in agreement with the ones reached by Onyechi et al. (2016) and Bousbisi (2018). The latter researchers found that the cognitive behavioural therapy and cognitive emotional therapy contribute to reducing the death anxiety of people.

The latter result is in agreement with the one reached by Al-Fanjari (2020). The latter researcher found that the therapy that is based on acceptance and commitment in reducing the death anxiety level of people. The latter result is in agreement with the one reached by Saif (2016). The latter researcher found that the counselling program is effective in reducing the teachers’ death anxiety levels. The latter result is in agreement with the one reached by Al-Kharshah (2015). The latter researcher found that the cognitive behavioural therapy-based program is effective in reducing the death anxiety of old people.

Discussion Related to the Third Hypothesis

It was found that the positive effect of the program remained after 4 weeks since the date of finishing the implementation of the program. The latter result may be attributed to the counselling exercises, activities and methods that are embedded in the program. It may be attributed to the homework in the proposed program. It indicates that the teachers started using those counselling exercises, activities and methods in various activities in their daily lives.

The latter result may be attributed to the long duration of the program. For instance, the program includes two sessions per week. The duration of the session ranges between 60 and 70 minutes. Such long duration contributed to retaining the information in the long-term memory of the teachers.

The latter result is in agreement with the ones reached by Ahmad (2021); Al-Momani and Al-Husban (2021); Al-Fanjari (2020); Al-Kharshah (2015); Saif (2016) and Abed Al (2013). The latter researchers found that the counselling programs contribute to reducing death anxiety and raise the self-efficacy through the following up of respondents.

Conclusion

It was found that there is a significant difference – at the significance level of (a≤ 0.05) – between the mean of the control group and the mean of the experimental group on the self-efficacy post-scale. The latter difference is for the favour of the ones in the experimental group. It was found that there is a significant difference – at the significance level of (a ≤ 0.05) – between the mean of the control group and the mean of the experimental group on the death anxiety post-scale. The latter difference is for the favour of the ones in the experimental group. It was found that the positive effect of the program remained after 4 weeks since the date of finishing the implementation of the program.

Recommendations

In the light of the aforementioned results, the researchers recommend:

1- Developing counselling programs that target other categories of people who recovered from COVID-19 virus

2- Activating the role of the counsellors in schools for improving the psychological wellbeing of students and the staff, especially teachers.

3- Providing more attention to the social activities that are carried out to improve the social skills of the teachers who recovered from COVID-19 virus and let them release their emotions.

4- Using the proposed program for meeting the goals intended from it

Limits and Limitations of the Study

The limits and limitations of the study are shown below.

Human limits: This study targets the female middle-aged teachers who recovered from COVID-19 virus in Jordan. The ages of those teachers range between 35 and 50 years.

Spatial limits: This study was carried out in Amman which is the capital of Jordan

Temporal limits: This study was carried out during the period 3/6/2021–3/8/2021

Limitations: The results of this study cannot be generalized because the results are affected by the size and characteristics of the sample.

Suggestions for future researchers

The researchers recommend

-Conducting studies about the death anxiety of old people in Jordan during the COVID-19 crisis.

-Conducting studies about the death anxiety of sick people in Jordan during the COVID-19 crisis.

Footnotes

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

ORCID iD

Mamduh AlZaben

Appendix 1 The Titles,Goals,Duration and Methods of the Sessions

Session	Title of the session	Goals of the session	Methods and activities of the session	Duration of the session
The first session	Creating the counselling relationship	This session aims to: -Letting the members of the group get to know each other and promote harmony among them -Provide the members of the group with knowledge about the significance of this counselling program -Reach an agreement among the members of the group about the duration, place and number of sessions	-Break the ice -Brainstorming activity -Encouraging the members of the group -Empathy	60 minutes
The second session	Introduction to the counselling program	This session aims to: -Providing brief knowledge about the program -Identify the goals of the program -Identify the content of the program -Identify the content of the program through mentioning the titles of the sessions -Personal contract	-Identify the structure -Dialogue and discussion -Homework	60 minutes
The third session	Cognitive behavioural therapy	This session aims to: -Identify the meaning of the term (cognitive behavioural therapy) by the counsellor before the members of the group -Identify the targeted ideas, emotions and behaviours by the members of the group -Let the members of the group identify their ideas and beliefs that affects on them	-Dialogue and discussion -Feedback -Homework	60 minutes
The fourth session	The meaning of death anxiety and its impacts	This session aims to: -Identify the meaning and types of anxiety by the counsellor -Identify the negative impacts of death anxiety -Hold a discussion about the symptoms of death anxiety -Identify the impact of the death anxiety on one	-Discussion and dialogue -Small groups–based works -Homework	70 minutes
The fifth session	Mistakes in the way of thinking	This session aims to: -Identify the meaning of (mistakes in the way of thinking) by the counsellor -Identify the meaning of (cognitive deformities) by the counsellor -Identify way in which one’s thoughts affect his/her life	-Discussion -Asking questions -Positive self-dialogue -Feedback -Homework	75 minutes
The sixth session	Identifying the irrational thoughts and replacing them with rational ones 1	This session aims to: -Identify the irrational thoughts that the members of the group have -Assisting the members of the group in determining their irrational thoughts	-The three columns -Releasing emotions during the current moment -Feedback -Homework	75 minutes
The seventh session	Identifying the irrational thoughts and replacing them with rational ones 2	This session aims to: -Identify the meaning of life by the members of the group -Assist the members of the group in raising their self-awareness levels -Assist the member of the group in thinking about the goal sought from their existence in life	-Technique for stopping the negative thinking -Determining the negative and positive aspects of one’s thinking -Releasing emotions at the current moment -Homework	70 minutes
The eighth session	Psychological representation and emotional release	This session aims to: -Assist the members of the group in improving their ability to express their emotions in a balanced manner -Assist the members of the group in identifying the significance of having all emotions in their lives	-Advertisement -Logo-drama activities -Role playing activities Feedback -Homework	60 minutes
The ninth session	Respiratory and mental relaxation	This session aims to: -Let the members of the group practice (respiratory and mental relaxation) in dealing with various life skills	-Respiratory and mental relaxation -Feedback -Homework	65 minutes
		-Provide the members of the group with training about the way of practicing relaxation in real life situations
The 10th session	The meaning of self-efficacy and its types	This session aims to:-Identify the meaning of (self-efficacy)-Identify the significance of having a high (self-efficacy) level-Identify the types of (self-efficacy)	-Delivering information-Dialogue and discussion-Homework	60 minutes
The 11th session	Hope and its impact on one’s life	This session aims to:-Identify the meaning of having hope-Hold a discussion about the aspirations of the members of the group-Assist the members of the group in finding alternatives in their lives that contribute to raising their hope-Assist the members of the group in handling various crises in real life	The problem solving method-Questions-Encouraging the members of the group-Feedback-Homework	65 minutes
The 12th session	Handling stress	This session aims to:-Let the members of the group identify the major stress triggers they faced in their lives-Let the members of the group learn the way of handling stress in their lives	Dialogue and discussionFeedbackBrainstormingSocratic dialogue	70 minutes
The 13th session	Facing myself	This session aims to:-Let the members of the group learn the significance of focusing on the present-Train the members of the group about the way of talking about the present in most of their affairs-Teach the members of the group the way they should face themselves through identifying the contradictions in their personalities-Teach the members of the group the way they should deal with the negative ideas related to death anxiety	-The hot chairDialogue and discussion.The confrontation-Feedback-Homework	60 minutes
The 14th session	Adapting with reality	This session aims to:-Assist the members of the group in identifying how necessary it is to accept reality-Assist the members of the group in accepting the changes that occur to their lives	-Dialogue and discussion-Mentioning real life examples and models-Role playing	60 minutes
The 15th session	Quietness and relaxation	This session aims to:-Assist the members of the group in showing quietness and high emotional balance-Assist the members of the group in becoming more relax in life	-Offering examples-Using videos-Role playing-Dialogue and discussion	75 minutes
The 16th session	The final session:Final session and the integration of expertise	This session aims to:-Let the members of the group assess the things they achieved through the counselling program with shedding a light on positive and negative aspects-Let the members of the group mention the behaviours they learn in the program-Let the members of the group mention the goals sought from enrolling in the program-Let the members of the group mention new ideas they acquired through the program-Let the members of the group mention a mechanism for following them up and communicating with them	-Advertisement-Dialogue and discussion-Encouraging the members of the group	70 minutes

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