Positive Benefit of Being a Peer Counselor for Emerging Adults with ACE's History : A Thematic Analysis

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) have the traumatic potential to have long-lasting negative impacts on physical health and affect psychological development into adulthood. Emerging adults with a history of ACE's tend to feel negative emotions such as stress, depression and anxiety when entering emerging adulthood. However, some emerging adults with history of ACE's show positive involvement by providing as peer counselors. The aim of this research is to explain the psychological benefit of being peer counselor with ACE's as emerging adult. This qualitative research consisted of three participants aged 18-25 who had at least one year of experience as peer counselors and had score ACE in the moderate category. There were five main themes revealed in this study : (1) Desire to help others (2) Emotions of being peer counselor, (3) Perception in understanding family problems, (4) Positive coping to hadle the ACE’s trigger, (5) Increase positive self-meaning. Experience as a peer counselor helps reduce the impact of ACE in emerging adults.