<![CDATA[Emotion regulation is an essential developmental competency that enables adolescents to manage emotional responses and adapt to academic and social challenges. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)-based group counseling using self-talk and cognitive restructuring techniques in improving emotion regulation among eighth-grade junior high school students in Demak Regency, Indonesia. A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control-group design was employed. From a population of 151 students, 24 participants were selected through purposive sampling and divided into three groups: self-talk (n = 8), cognitive restructuring (n = 8), and control (n = 8). The interventions were implemented through six to eight structured counseling sessions. Data were collected using a 19-item emotion regulation scale and analyzed using the Shapiro–Wilk, Levene's, and Kruskal–Wallis tests. The results indicated no statistically significant differences among groups at pretest (p = .060), whereas significant differences were observed at posttest (p = .001). These findings provide preliminary evidence supporting the potential application of CBT-based group counseling to improve emotion regulation among adolescents. However, further comparative analyses are required to establish the specific effectiveness of each intervention. The study highlights the relevance of structured cognitive-behavioral counseling for supporting students' emotional development in school settings. ]]>
