<![CDATA[The development of artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed the implementation of guidance and counseling services in schools. However, the lived experiences of school counselors in adapting to these changes remain insufficiently explored. This study aims to reveal the lived experiences of school counselors in managing guidance and counseling services in the AI era and to formulate the meaning of those experiences. The study employed a qualitative approach with a transcendental phenomenological design. Two school counselors from a State Islamic Senior High School were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, document analysis, and field notes, and were analyzed using Moustakas’ phenomenological procedures, including epoche or bracketing, horizontalization, formulation of meaning units, textural description, structural description, and synthesis of the composite essence. The findings generated four themes: technical challenges, ethical challenges, relational challenges, and challenges related to policy and institutional support. The phenomenological synthesis indicates that the essence of school counselors’ experiences lies in their effort to balance technological innovation with a commitment to preserving human values in counseling practice. The participants perceived AI as a complementary instrument that can improve service efficiency, data management, and access to information, but cannot replace empathy, professional judgment, ethical responsibility, and authentic counselor–student relationships. These findings emphasize the need to strengthen AI literacy, ethical governance, institutional capacity, and human-centered implementation strategies. Responsible AI integration is essential to ensure that technological advancement enhances, rather than diminishes, the quality, integrity, and relational foundation of guidance and counseling services in schools.]]>
Copyrights © 2026
