Journal of Counseling, Education and Society
Vol. 7 No. 1 (2026): Journal of Counseling, Education and Society

The effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy-based individual counseling in improving emotional regulation among students: a systematic literature review

Nelatu Fadila (Universitas Negeri Padang)
Netrawati Netrawati (Universitas Negeri Padang)
Afdal Afdal (Universitas Negeri Padang)
Puji Gusri Handayani (Universitas Negeri Padang)



Article Info

Publish Date
30 Jul 2026

Abstract

Emotional dysregulation is a common problem among students and is associated with academic, social, and psychological difficulties. However, the effectiveness of individual counseling compared with group counseling or digital CBT-based interventions remains unclear. This systematic literature review followed the PRISMA 2020 guidelines to examine the role of individual counseling in improving students' emotional regulation. A structured Boolean search was conducted in the Scopus database using keywords related to cognitive behavioral therapy, individual counseling, emotional regulation, and student populations. The final search was completed in July 2026. Of 178 identified records, 163 remained after duplicate removal. Following screening and eligibility assessment, 10 studies met the inclusion criteria and were synthesized, supported by 40 additional Scopus-indexed references for theoretical and methodological discussion. The findings indicate that individual counseling generally improves emotional regulation, although its effectiveness varies according to the therapeutic relationship, mental health comorbidities, delivery format, cultural context, developmental stage, and participant characteristics. Complementary approaches, including music-based and technology-assisted interventions, may further enhance emotional regulation beyond traditional counseling. These findings strengthen transdiagnostic and mechanism-based CBT perspectives while providing practical implications for school counselors and clinicians to prioritize emotional regulation skills alongside symptom reduction. The review was limited by the small number of eligible studies and heterogeneous outcome measures. Future research should directly compare individual and group CBT formats using standardized emotional regulation measures and longer-term, cross-cultural designs.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

jces

Publisher

Subject

Humanities Education Environmental Science Law, Crime, Criminology & Criminal Justice Social Sciences Other

Description

Journal of Counseling, Education and Society ISSN: 2716-4896 (Print) , ISSN 2716-4888 (Electronic) is a peer-reviewed journal and scientific journal managed by the ELORA Center for Research & Innovation. Journal of Counseling, Education and Society a multi-disciplinary, peer-refereed open-access ...