“A Reward at the End of the Tunnel”: A Phenomenological Analysis of Counselors’-In-Training Developmental Experience with Frequent Role-Plays

Abstract

ABSTRACT Role-play exercises are a creative pedagogical tool to deliver various classroom content, including skills and theory. While role-plays can be impactful, educators should also be mindful of the vulnerability that can accompany these learning experiences. Cognitive developmental theory can help counselor educators understand counselors’-in-training (CITs’) emotional experiences (i.e., anxiety, discomfort, imposter syndrome) and guide their pedagogical interventions to align with the students’ developmental needs. In this phenomenological investigation, we used a cognitive developmental lens to explore masters-level CITs’ (n = 10) experiences with sustained, regular role-play during their training program. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), we identified four themes: (a) clinical growth through the discomfort, (b) I didn’t know what I thought I knew, (c) common commitment to growth, and (d) interpersonal impact. The authors provide implications for counselor education and research, including intentional uses of deliberate psychological education (DPE) when implementing role-play in the classroom.