Abstract
BACKGROUND: Kings behavioral counseling is a counseling approach that emphasizes behavioral change rooted in the internalization of kingly virtues and conduct. Accordingly, this study seeks to explore strategic pathways to enhance academic hardiness through the implementation of the Kings behavioral counseling mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study employed a survey method. The participants consisted of 400 university students in Indonesia who had provided written consent to participate. Data were collected using a revised academic hardiness scale and distributed via the google forms platform. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics with the assistance of SPSS software version 25.0. RESULTS: The research findings illustrate the strategic implementation of a behavioral counseling mechanism inspired by Kings values to enhance academic hardiness among university students. This strategy involves the internalization of behavioral values exemplified by kings. The counseling mechanism integrates narratives about Kings behavioral values, intended to influence students' mindsets and actions, thereby fostering academic self-commitment, hardiness in facing academic challenges, and self-regulation within the academic context. The counseling process unfolds across four distinct stages: The initial stage, the transition stage, the intervention stage, and the termination stage. CONCLUSION: This study develops a strategic counseling model to enhance academic hardiness in students with low hardiness by internalizing the behavioral values of the Kings, through four stages: initial stage, transition, intervention, and termination. Students build commitment, readiness to face challenges, and self-control by applying the inspirational stories of the Kings. This model is recommended for student interventions focusing on behavior change.