Tepa Selira and Empathy in School Counselors’ Attitudes: An Indigenous Counseling Study in Surabaya
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.38073/almusyrif.v9i2.5736Keywords:
Tepa Selira, Empathy, School Counselor, Local Wisdom, Indigenous CounselingAbstract
This study analyzes how Tepa Selira, a Javanese cultural value, is understood, internalized, and manifested in the attitudes of school counselors in Surabaya, and examines its congruence with empathy in guidance and counseling. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed, involving three school counselors selected through purposive sampling until data saturation was reached; therefore, the findings are exploratory in nature. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Analysis of the five indicators of Tepa Selira yielded twelve themes. Under Rukun (Social Harmony), Proactive Relational Harmony and Emotional Self-Regulation emerged; under Ngajeni Liyan (Respect and Appreciation), Appreciation through Closeness and Non-Judgmental Acceptance; under Mulat Sarira/Ngukur Batin (Self-Reflection and Introspection), Consistent Self-Evaluation, Post-Session Reflection, and Maintaining Emotional Boundaries; under Unggah-ungguh lan Solah Bawa (Communicative Etiquette), Firm yet Gentle, Attentiveness through Nonverbal Cues, and Situationally Reactive Tone; and under Mangerteni Papan/Sangkan Paran (Understanding Others' Position and Context), Proactive Contextual Understanding and Individual Context Verification. These themes align with the cognitive, affective, and behavioral components of empathy in both basic and advanced forms. Thus, Tepa Selira functions as a cultural manifestation of empathy among Javanese school counselors, providing a local-wisdom foundation for strengthening counselor competence and culturally and spiritually sensitive counselor education.
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