Young people’s experiences of compassion-focused group therapy: A reflexive thematic analysis

OBJECTIVE: Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) is an emerging treatment approach that aims at cultivating compassion toward oneself and others. Self-compassion is associated with greater emotional resilience and reduced anxiety, depression, and stress. While CFT has shown promising results for young people, further research is needed. This study explores young people's (aged 15-21 years) experiences of participating in a group-based CFT program online. METHODS: Semi-structured group interviews were conducted post-treatment. Twelve group interviews, comprising 34 participants in total (85% female), were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Two overarching themes were developed through the analysis. The first theme captured participants' experiences of having increased their ability to handle difficult emotions and to engage with compassion within the CFT program. The second theme illustrated the power of feeling connected in a group. CONCLUSION: This analysis suggests that compassion-focused group therapy can be a valuable treatment for young people.