Some observations on the subjective experience of neophyte group therapy trainees

Neophyte group therapy trainees often encounter significant difficulties in their initial experiences as group therapists. In this article, we report and discuss the results of a semistructured interview conducted with each of 16 neophyte group therapy trainees in an academic training program. The interview focused on the trainees' subjective experiences related to their initial training and group therapy clinical practice, with particular emphasis on their satisfaction with their training, and the role and impact of supervision. All trainees reported strong emotional reactions to their group experience and numerous technical concerns. However, trainees reported a broad range of degrees of satisfaction with their training Overall satisfaction with training strongly paralleled satisfaction with supervision and the supervisory relationship. Recommendations for improving the group therapy training experience that emerge from the evaluation of the trainees' subjective experiences are suggested.