EXPERIENTIAL GROUPS IN THE TRAINING OF GROUP COUNSELORS AND THERAPISTS: A VIEW FROM TRAINEES PERSPECTIVE

Many theorists and practitioners believe that integration of theoretical knowledge, observation of proficient group counselor work, supervision of personal work with groups and personal experience as a group member help future group therapists to acquire skills necessary for group counseling. Personal experience can be acquired through participation in experiential groups. As it is little known of the personal experience of experiential group members, it is not sufficiently clear whether insights and opinions of these members are consistent with those emphasized in the literature about experiential groups in the training context. The aim of this research is to provide a structured description of experiences of experiential group participants in the training context: how trainees perceive experiential groups in the training context. To achieve this aim, a qualitative study strategy was employed which is particularly appropriate in cases when a research object has been little explored and results of available studies are controversial. The research was organized and carried out on the basis of the principles and requirements of thematic analysis. Students from one and the same Group Therapy training program of the Institute of Humanistic and Existential Psychology (Birštonas, Lithuania) were chosen for this research. In addition to theoretical lectures, program participants went through three experiential groups that were led by experienced group counselors. The work of the group was observed by two program supervisors. Participants of the research were 8 persons aged from 29 to 48. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather research data. The participants were asked to share their experiences, mostly focusing on experiential groups. The analysis of the gathered data crystallized around 5 themes: preliminary expectations; goals of the experiential group; weakness and unsafety of the experiential group; experiential group process continuity; and experiential group as a tool for giving meaning to knowledge and personal transformations. The analysis of research findings revealed that the purpose of experiential groups in training, which is attached most attention in professional literature, i.e. giving meaning to knowledge and facilitation of personal changes, represents only one component in the perceptions of this group. A relationship between the experiential group participants and the group which determines the perception of the group also encompasses preliminary expectations of the participants, their concerns about the goals of the group, realization of weakness and unsafety of the group, and experience of the group process continuity. The analysis of findings paid attention to the importance of identification and definition of group goals. The participants of the group had ambiguous and vague understanding of the group goals, where the group itself was perceived as lacking coherence and commonness. In addition, the analysis of research findings also revealed that differences among group participants impede the formation of the feeling of commonness. This should encourage both researchers and practitioners to pay attention to the selection of participants to experiential groups and programs.