From anxiety to empowerment: The transformative potential of cognitive behavioral therapy for healing (CBTH) among pre-service teachers in higher education: A narrative review

Abstract

This structured narrative review examines the transformative potential of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Healing (CBTH) in addressing anxiety among pre-service teachers in higher education. The review responds to a specific conceptual gap: traditional Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has an established evidence base for anxiety reduction, healing-centered education emphasizes restoration, relational safety, agency, identity, and systemic support, but the use of CBTH for pre-service teachers remains insufficiently differentiated and empirically underexamined. A PRISMA-informed structured narrative review was conducted through database searches in Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, ERIC, PubMed, and Google Scholar, covering publications from 2000 to 2025. From 1,066 records initially identified, 537 duplicates were removed, 529 titles and abstracts were screened, 289 documents were assessed for eligibility, and 50 documents were included in the final synthesis. A deductive-inductive thematic synthesis generated categories related to anxiety conceptualization, CBT-CBTH distinctions, mechanisms of transformation, advantages and limitations, intervention modules, controversies, implications, and future research. The synthesis indicates that CBTH may support anxiety reduction, emotional regulation, resilience, and professional self-efficacy; however, CBT evidence should not be treated as direct evidence for CBTH among pre-service teachers. Major gaps remain, including limited teacher-specific CBTH intervention studies, inconsistent conceptualizations of empowerment and healing, reliance on short-term outcomes, and insufficient cultural adaptation. Future research should prioritize longitudinal, culturally responsive, and mixed-method studies to establish whether CBTH can be sustainably embedded within teacher preparation programs.