Can Group Counseling Build Humility? Study Explained

Group counseling humility mindfulness — these 3 concepts may sound separate, but research suggests that combining them in a structured group setting can meaningfully transform the way young people relate to themselves and others. A study published in the International Journal of Information and Education Technology examined the effects of online group counseling on high school students’ humility, comparing a mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) approach against a solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) approach. The results were striking: both methods improved humility scores, but the mindfulness-based group showed particularly consistent gains across emotional regulation, self-awareness, and interpersonal respect.

This article unpacks what that research found, explains the psychological science behind it in plain language, and offers practical guidance on how group counseling, humility-building, and mindfulness practices can be applied — whether you are a student, educator, counselor, or simply someone curious about personal growth. We will walk through the core concepts, compare the 2 therapeutic approaches, explore the unique advantages of the online format, and outline what you can start doing today to cultivate a more grounded, humble mindset.

Once again, personality researcher and author of Villain Encyclopedia, Tokiwa (@etokiwa999), will provide the explanation.
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What Is Group Counseling — and Why Does It Work?

Defining Group Counseling

Group counseling is a structured mental health support format in which multiple participants receive guidance together in a shared, safe environment. Unlike one-on-one therapy, group counseling draws on the collective experience of everyone in the room — or on screen. Participants share their thoughts and feelings, listen to peers, and gain new perspectives they might never encounter in individual sessions. A trained counselor or facilitator guides the process, ensuring the space remains respectful, confidential, and productive.

Research suggests that group counseling tends to be particularly effective for interpersonal growth, social skill development, and issues rooted in self-perception — which is exactly why it pairs so naturally with the goal of cultivating humility. Seeing that others share similar struggles can reduce feelings of shame and isolation, creating an emotional safety net that encourages openness.

Key characteristics of group counseling include:

• Peer solidarity: Participants realize they are not alone in their challenges, which tends to lower defensiveness and increase willingness to reflect.
• Vicarious learning: Hearing how others handle similar situations broadens each person’s problem-solving repertoire without requiring direct personal risk.
• Facilitated structure: A counselor manages pacing, conflict, and group dynamics so sessions remain constructive and emotionally safe.
• Cost efficiency: Because one facilitator supports multiple participants simultaneously, group counseling is generally more accessible than individual therapy.

The trust built between participants is not a soft bonus — it is the active mechanism through which change happens. Studies indicate that when people feel genuinely accepted by their peers, they become more willing to examine their own blind spots, which is a foundational step toward greater humility.

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Group Counseling vs. Individual Counseling: What Is Different?

The core difference is the social dimension: individual counseling focuses on a 1-to-1 therapeutic relationship, while group counseling adds a layer of peer interaction that mirrors real-world social dynamics. This matters because many of the issues people bring to counseling — interpersonal conflict, low self-esteem, difficulty accepting feedback — are inherently social problems. Practicing new behaviors within a group setting, under the guidance of a counselor, tends to produce more transferable results than practicing them only in imagination or in dialogue with a single therapist.

• Individual counseling strength: Allows deep, private exploration of sensitive personal history without the social pressure of an audience.
• Group counseling strength: Provides real-time social feedback, peer encouragement, and the lived experience of being accepted despite vulnerability.
• Individual counseling limitation: The therapist-client relationship, while powerful, does not fully replicate the complexity of peer relationships.
• Group counseling limitation: Some participants may feel inhibited by the presence of others, particularly those who are naturally reserved or who carry social anxiety.

The research examined here found that even in an online format — where non-verbal cues like body language are reduced — group counseling produced measurable gains in humility among high school students. This suggests that the benefits of the group dynamic are robust enough to survive the transition to a digital environment, a finding with important implications for the growing field of online group therapy.

Understanding Humility: Why It Matters More Than You Think

What Psychologists Mean by “Humility”

In psychological terms, humility is not self-deprecation or weakness — it is the accurate, grounded understanding of one’s own abilities combined with a genuine openness to others. A humble person neither overestimates nor underestimates their own worth. They can acknowledge their strengths without arrogance and recognize their limitations without shame. This balanced self-view makes it easier to learn from others, accept constructive criticism, and collaborate effectively in group settings.

Humility in relationships tends to involve at least 3 overlapping dimensions:

• Accurate self-assessment: Knowing what you are genuinely good at and where you fall short, without distortion in either direction.
• Other-orientation: Showing genuine interest in and respect for the experiences, knowledge, and perspectives of others.
• Low need for self-enhancement: Not requiring constant external validation or praise to feel secure in one’s own identity.

Research in personality psychology suggests that humility is closely linked to the Honesty-Humility factor found in certain personality models. People who score higher on this trait tend to avoid manipulation, be more cooperative, and demonstrate greater integrity in their relationships. Importantly, humility is also considered trainable — it is not simply a fixed personality trait you either have or do not have.

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Why Humility Matters for Young People and School Life

For adolescents in particular, cultivating humility can have cascading positive effects on academic motivation, friendships, and long-term emotional wellbeing. The teenage years are a period of intense identity formation. Without a stable, realistic self-concept, young people are vulnerable to both excessive self-confidence — which can damage relationships — and excessive self-doubt, which can undermine motivation and mental health.

Research suggests that humble students tend to:

• Demonstrate stronger classroom cooperation and group work performance.
• Earn more stable trust from peers and teachers over time.
• Show greater resilience after academic setbacks, because they do not interpret failure as a global verdict on their worth.
• Engage in fewer behaviors linked to bullying or interpersonal aggression, since they do not need to dominate others to feel secure.

The study at the center of this article targeted 24 high school students aged 14 to 17 who had been identified as scoring low on both humility and mindfulness measures. These are students who may be at elevated risk of interpersonal difficulties, academic disengagement, or emotional dysregulation — precisely the population where early interpersonal growth counseling could make the most difference.

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Group Counseling Humility Mindfulness: How MBCT Works in a Group Setting

The Core Principles of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is a structured psychological approach that teaches people to notice their own thought patterns without being overwhelmed by them — and this skill turns out to be deeply connected to developing humility. MBCT was originally developed to prevent relapse in people with recurrent depression, but its applications have expanded widely. At its heart, MBCT combines classical mindfulness meditation practices with key insights from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

The central idea is straightforward: we often suffer not because of what is actually happening, but because of the automatic, often distorted stories our minds tell us about what is happening. MBCT trains participants to observe those stories with curiosity and distance rather than accepting them as absolute truth. When applied to humility, this means learning to observe thoughts like “I’m better than everyone else here” or “I’m completely worthless” with equal detachment — and recognizing that neither extreme accurately reflects reality.

In mindfulness group sessions, this training takes on an added social dimension:

• Observing the self in relation to others: Group settings naturally surface comparison thoughts. MBCT provides tools to notice these comparisons without reacting to them defensively.
• Non-judgmental listening: Participants practice receiving others’ experiences without immediately evaluating, competing, or dismissing — a direct training ground for other-oriented humility.
• Body-based awareness: Participants learn to notice physical tension, restlessness, or discomfort as early signals of emotional reactivity, allowing them to pause before responding.
• Repeated informal practice: Skills learned in sessions are applied to everyday moments — meals, conversations, moments of frustration — making change sustainable rather than confined to the therapy room.

The study found that students in the MBCT-based group counseling condition showed statistically significant improvements in humility after 8 weekly sessions. This aligns with a broader body of research suggesting that approximately 8 weeks of consistent mindfulness practice tends to produce measurable changes in self-awareness and emotional regulation.

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Separating Thoughts from Feelings: A Key MBCT Skill

One of the most practically useful skills MBCT teaches is the ability to distinguish between a thought (a mental event) and an emotion (a physical-psychological experience) — and this distinction is foundational to building humility. When we conflate thoughts with feelings, we tend to treat our mental interpretations as unquestionable facts. Someone who thinks “they ignored me on purpose” and simultaneously feels hurt may act on that combined experience as though it were certain truth — leading to defensive, prideful, or aggressive behavior.

MBCT teaches a 4-step process of cognitive-emotional de-fusion:

• Step 1 — Name the feeling: “I am feeling hurt right now.” Putting a label on the emotion activates the prefrontal cortex and slightly reduces emotional intensity.
• Step 2 — Identify the thought: “The thought I’m having is that they did this deliberately.” Separating the thought from the feeling makes it visible and examinable.
• Step 3 — Evaluate the thought’s accuracy: “Is there strong evidence for this interpretation? Are there other explanations?” This is where cognitive flexibility develops.
• Step 4 — Choose a response rather than a reaction: Armed with a clearer picture, the person can decide how to respond rather than simply reacting from an emotionally flooded state.

In the context of interpersonal growth counseling, this skill is invaluable. It allows young people to catch the automatic thought “I need to be right” before it drives a defensive argument, or to notice the thought “my ideas are better than theirs” before it causes them to dismiss a peer’s contribution. Over time, this kind of cognitive pause builds the psychological space in which genuine humility can grow.

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) in Group Counseling: A Complementary Approach

What Is SFBT and How Does It Build Humility?

Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) is a goal-oriented counseling approach that directs attention toward what is already working rather than dwelling extensively on problems — and in a group setting, this orientation tends to foster a collaborative, humble dynamic among participants. Rather than asking “why do you have this problem?”, SFBT asks “when has this problem been less severe, and what were you doing differently then?” This subtle shift in framing has significant psychological effects.

In SFBT-based group counseling sessions, participants typically engage with:

• Miracle questions: “If you woke up tomorrow and this problem was solved, what would be different?” This technique helps participants articulate their values and goals without being anchored in the current problem state.
• Exception-finding: Participants identify times when they did demonstrate humility or handled social situations well, building a sense of self-efficacy and possibility.
• Scaling questions: “On a scale of 1 to 10, how humble do you feel you’re being in your relationships right now? What would move you one point higher?” This encourages concrete, incremental goal-setting.
• Complimenting and affirmation: The counselor regularly highlights participants’ strengths and past successes, modeling the kind of other-oriented appreciation that characterizes humility in relationships.

The study found that the SFBT group also produced meaningful improvements in students’ humility scores across the intervention period. What is particularly interesting is that SFBT achieves this through a fundamentally different psychological pathway than MBCT: where MBCT works by building metacognitive awareness, SFBT works by redirecting attention and amplifying existing strengths. Both routes appear to lead to the same destination — a more grounded, other-respecting self-concept.

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Comparing MBCT and SFBT: Which Approach Fits You?

Rather than declaring one approach universally superior, research suggests it is more useful to think about which framework resonates with a particular person’s learning style and starting point. The study compared both methods and found statistically significant results for each, with neither definitively outperforming the other in every dimension. This is itself a finding that rewards humble interpretation: different people may need different paths.

• If you tend toward overthinking or rumination: MBCT’s focus on observing thoughts without judgment may be especially helpful, since it directly targets the mental loops that can fuel arrogance or harsh self-criticism.
• If you feel stuck and discouraged: SFBT’s strength-based orientation may be more energizing, since it shifts attention away from the problem and toward evidence that change is already possible.
• If you value structured practice: MBCT provides specific daily exercises (breathing practices, body scans, informal mindfulness) that give a clear routine to follow.
• If you prefer conversational exploration: SFBT tends to feel more like a guided conversation, which may feel less intimidating for participants who are new to therapy.

For practitioners designing group therapy benefits programming in school or community settings, the encouraging takeaway is this: you do not necessarily need to choose one approach exclusively. Elements of both MBCT and SFBT can be integrated into a single program, depending on the group’s needs at any given session. The common ingredient — a safe, structured group environment where honesty and mutual respect are the norm — appears to be essential regardless of which therapeutic framework is used.

Online Group Therapy: Benefits, Limitations, and Best Practices

Why Online Group Counseling Is a Viable and Growing Option

One of the most significant findings from this study is that online group therapy is not merely a pandemic-era compromise — it is a genuinely effective format for delivering group counseling humility mindfulness interventions, with its own distinct advantages. All 8 sessions in the study were conducted online, and all groups — MBCT, SFBT, and control — completed the program without requiring participants to travel to a physical location. The measurable improvements in humility scores suggest that the therapeutic benefits of group interaction do not depend on physical co-presence.

Advantages of the online group counseling format include:

• Geographic accessibility: Participants from different neighborhoods, cities, or even countries can join the same group, increasing diversity of perspective.
• Reduced logistical barriers: No transportation costs, no commuting time, no need to arrange childcare or ask for time off work in many cases.
• Comfort of familiar environment: Many participants report that being in their own home reduces initial anxiety about speaking up in a group — a meaningful advantage for shy or socially anxious individuals.
• Documentation ease: Sessions can be recorded (with appropriate consent), worksheets shared instantly, and follow-up resources distributed without delay.

That said, online group therapy also comes with real limitations that practitioners should acknowledge honestly. Non-verbal communication — the raised eyebrow, the body language of someone who wants to speak, the subtle posture shift of discomfort — is harder to read through a camera. Technical failures can interrupt the flow of a session at emotionally critical moments. And for participants without reliable internet access or a private space at home, the format creates inequitable access. These limitations do not negate the approach’s value, but they do require thoughtful mitigation strategies from trained facilitators.

Practical Tips for Getting the Most Out of Online Group Sessions

Whether you are a participant or a facilitator, small practical choices can significantly affect the quality of online group counseling mindfulness sessions. The following recommendations are drawn from both the study’s design and broader research on effective online therapeutic formats:

• Use a device with a stable connection and a working camera: Visual cues matter even when they are limited. A reliable video connection helps maintain the sense of shared presence that makes group work feel real.
• Find a private, quiet space: The ability to speak freely without fear of being overheard at home is essential. Even a few minutes of preparation to create this space signals to yourself that the session deserves full attention.
• Arrive a few minutes early: Technical warm-up time reduces the stress of troubleshooting in the middle of an opening exercise, and it gives you a moment to settle mentally before the session begins.
• Practice mindfulness before logging in: Even 3 to 5 minutes of slow breathing or a brief body scan before joining can shift your nervous system into a more receptive state.
• Commit to the camera-on norm when possible: Research on online learning and therapy consistently finds that seeing each other’s faces — even partially — increases group cohesion and participant engagement.

For facilitators, the study’s 8-person group size appears to be a particularly effective configuration for online sessions. It is large enough to generate meaningful diversity of perspective, but small enough for each participant to have genuine airtime and for the counselor to monitor individual engagement without losing track of the group as a whole.

Actionable Advice: Building Humility Through Mindfulness and Group Practice

What You Can Start Practicing Today

The findings from this research are not confined to formal therapy settings — the core practices that drove humility gains can be adapted into daily habits accessible to virtually anyone. Below are evidence-informed recommendations organized around the key mechanisms the study identified:

1. Practice the “pause and observe” technique before reacting in conversations. When you feel a strong urge to correct someone, assert dominance, or dismiss a peer’s idea, pause for one full breath. During that breath, simply observe the thought driving the urge without immediately acting on it. This is the core MBCT skill of cognitive defusion applied in real time. Over weeks of practice, this pause tends to become automatic — and it is in that pause that humility lives.

2. Keep a “strength witness” journal. Each evening, write down one thing someone else did well that you genuinely admired. This SFBT-inspired practice trains the brain to actively seek and register competence in others — the psychological opposite of the comparative, hierarchy-seeking thinking that undermines humility. After approximately 21 days of consistent practice, many people report a noticeably more other-appreciating orientation in daily interactions.

3. Seek out group learning environments intentionally. This does not have to mean formal therapy. Study groups, team sports, volunteer work, community choirs, book clubs — any structured setting where you regularly experience yourself as one contributor among many tends to naturally support the development of humility. The key ingredient is that the group has a shared purpose that genuinely matters to its members.

4. Practice “beginner’s mind” in one area each week. Beginner’s mind is a concept from Zen Buddhism adopted by MBCT: approaching a familiar situation as though you have never encountered it before. Each week, choose one area where you feel confident and deliberately ask someone else how they would approach it. Listen without preparing your rebuttal. This exercise is remarkably effective at loosening the grip of overconfidence without requiring self-deprecation.

5. Use scaling questions on yourself. Borrowed directly from SFBT: once a week, ask yourself “On a scale of 1 to 10, how openly am I approaching my relationships right now?” Then ask: “What is one small thing I could do this week to move half a point higher?” This question is effective because it focuses attention on movement rather than judgment, and on agency rather than deficiency.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many people should be in a group counseling session for best results?

Research and clinical experience generally suggest that groups of 6 to 10 participants tend to produce the best balance between diversity of perspective and individual participation. The study reviewed here used 8-person groups, which allowed each member meaningful speaking time while still generating enough varied experience to make the group dynamic genuinely educational. Larger groups can dilute individual engagement, while groups of fewer than 5 may lack sufficient perspective diversity.

Can online group therapy be just as effective as in-person sessions?

Research suggests that online group therapy can produce comparable results to in-person formats for many goals, including building humility and improving emotional regulation. The study described in this article found significant improvements in students’ humility scores through entirely online sessions. The key factors appear to be stable technology, a skilled facilitator, and participants’ willingness to engage genuinely — all of which can be present in both formats.

What is the difference between MBCT and SFBT in group counseling?

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) focuses on teaching participants to observe and de-fuse from unhelpful thought patterns through awareness practices. Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) redirects attention toward existing strengths and imagined future solutions rather than dwelling on problems. Both approaches were shown to improve humility in the reviewed study. MBCT tends to suit people who benefit from structured daily practice, while SFBT may appeal more to those who respond well to strengths-based, conversational exploration.

How long does it take to see improvements in humility through group counseling?

The study observed statistically significant improvements in humility after 8 weekly sessions, totaling approximately 2 months of participation. This aligns broadly with research on mindfulness-based interventions, which typically indicate that around 8 weeks of consistent practice produces measurable changes in self-awareness and interpersonal behavior. Individual results vary, however, and ongoing practice beyond the formal program tends to sustain and deepen gains over time.

What if I am too shy or introverted to speak up in a group counseling setting?

Active verbal participation is valuable but not the only way to benefit from group counseling. Research suggests that even attentive listening and observing others’ experiences can produce meaningful shifts in perspective and self-awareness. Skilled facilitators are trained to create inclusive environments where quieter participants feel safe contributing at their own pace. Many people who initially feel reluctant to speak report becoming more comfortable after 2 to 3 sessions as trust in the group builds.

Is humility something that can actually be taught, or is it fixed in personality?

Research in personality psychology increasingly supports the view that traits like humility are malleable — especially with structured, evidence-based intervention. While personality does have stable components, studies indicate that targeted counseling and mindfulness-based practices can meaningfully shift how a person relates to themselves and others. The study discussed here directly demonstrated this in adolescents, a group whose personalities are still actively developing, making early intervention particularly promising.

Can these approaches be used outside of formal counseling — for example, in a classroom?

Yes — adapted versions of both MBCT and SFBT principles can be integrated into classroom activities, homeroom discussions, and school advisory programs. Techniques such as brief breathing practices before class, structured peer reflection exercises, and solution-focused goal-setting conversations can all be facilitated by trained teachers or school counselors. The study’s school-based design is itself evidence that these interventions can be practically embedded in educational environments rather than restricted to clinical settings.

Summary: What the Research Tells Us — and Where to Go from Here

The research reviewed in this article makes a compelling case: group counseling humility mindfulness is not just an abstract therapeutic combination — it is a practically validated approach for helping real young people develop more grounded, open, and respectful ways of being in the world. Whether through the self-observation tools of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy or the strength-amplifying conversations of solution-focused brief therapy, structured group settings consistently provide the social context in which humility can be genuinely practiced, not merely preached.

For students, this research suggests that joining a group counseling or mindfulness group sessions program — even online — can produce real, measurable shifts in how you relate to peers, handle feedback, and understand your own strengths and limits. For educators and counselors, the findings affirm that dedicating time to interpersonal growth counseling within school structures is not a luxury — it is an evidence-based investment in students’ long-term wellbeing and relational capacity. And for anyone reading this who simply wants to become a more open and connected person: the tools are available, the research is encouraging, and the first step is usually the smallest — a single pause before a reaction, a single question asked with genuine curiosity about another person’s experience.

Ready to explore how grounded and open your own interpersonal style really is? Reflect on one relationship in your life and ask yourself: when did I last genuinely listen without preparing my response — and what might change if I made that a daily practice? That question is where the journey toward lasting humility begins.