The Impact of Experiential Groups on Master Students' Counselor and Personal Development: A Qualitative Investigation

Abstract

The qualitative inquiry describes the personal experiences of 15 master's level counselors-in-training who participated in an experiential personal growth group as an adjunct to their group counseling course. This study explored how counselors-in-training make meaning of their personal growth group experiences as well as how they perceive the experience of being members of this specific group. In an effort to bridge experiential training and counselor practice, implications for educating counselors-in-training are provided based on the clinical and academic experiences reported by the students. Additionally, we discuss directions for future research.