Student-Counselor Development During the First Year: A Qualitative Exploration

This qualitative study examined the experiences of 9 first-year master’s-level counseling students. Data revealed that students progressed through a constructivist sense making process in which previous experiences as well as personal expectations were used to make sense of their current experiences. A comprehensive—yet tentative—grounded theory based on in-depth interviews and a focus group is described. Implications for counselor education are provided