An Exploration of Secondary School Counselors' Experiences Engaging in Group Work

The purpose of this study is to understand the experiences of secondary school counselors who develop and lead groups. The study explored participants' perceptions and their motivations for leading groups. Findings from data analysis revealed four major themes. Unappreciated and Dismissed describes the way participants felt in response to the implicit and explicit messages received from colleagues as they planned and facilitated groups. Outside the Comfort Zone describes the participants' feelings of vulnerability and/or inadequacy during group facilitation. Participants described Meaningful Relationships which developed through the groups. Finally, participants recounted Encouraging Feedback they received as a result of leading groups.