Personal development groups during psychotherapy training: Irish students' expectations and experiences of vulnerability, safety and growth

Personal development groups (PDGs) are a common part of counselling, psychotherapy and psychology training programmes, and are believed to facilitate both personal and professional growth. This article reviews the available research evidence for this belief, and reports the findings of a longitudinal study of the expectations and experiences of 32 Irish integrative psychotherapy students during an academic year's attendance at a PDG. A small but significant increase was found in the students' ratings of their own interpersonal awareness and skills at the end of the year, students reporting greater ease in sharing their personal thoughts and feelings with others and greater confidence in offering feedback to others. While students reported moderately high levels of safety in their PDGs, they also experienced vulnerability and were concerned about dual relationships and judgement from others. Thematic analysis of the students' written reflections on the impact of their PDGs indicated that they experienced "personal and professional growth," felt the "risk and potential in being vulnerable," and that they were left "wanting more." The findings from this study and the research review highlight both the benefits and challenges of PDG participation for students; the implications for ethical training practice are also discussed.