A Christian Counseling Narrative Case Study on Changes in Emotion Regulation of an At-Risk Adolescent Triggered by Relational Loss

Vollständiger Abstract

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This study explored a case of a 12th-grade student having difficulties from relational loss and rejection. She showed frequent absence from school and somatic symptoms. Having grown up in care facilities, she experienced parental separation, losses in peer and youth dating. A strict school rules triggered emotional outbursts, self-harm, and medication overdose. Alongside psychiatric treatment, she received 10 sessions of structured cognitive-behavioral counseling, once a week for 60 minutes, from June 2 to August 4, 2025. The process unfolded: dysregulation from relational loss, resistance and externalization, expansion of awareness and clarification, and relational safety, the gradual restoration of self-regulation. The research indicated that strong anger and resistance at first gradually changed into expressing and reflecting on emotions as relational safety was built, which shows that “being together” in a caring way is key in crisis intervention. This study suggests the clinical importance of a relationship-centered approach in school-based crisis counseling.