Personal development groups in counselling psychology training: The case for further research

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of literature pertaining to personal development (PD) groups within the training of counselling psychology and allied disciplines, including counselling and psychotherapy. Debated issues include the administration of PD groups with regard to facilitation, information given to trainees prior to their participation, the ‘timing’ of the PD experience for individuals; and indeed whether PD groups enhance the development of every trainee. The paper concludes with the suggestion that there is a need for further research into PD groups within the field of counselling psychology. As PD groups remain a component of counselling psychology training on several professional training programmes, it would be beneficial to gain an insight into trainees’ experiences of attending these groups and also to ascertain whether they are subjectively valuable aspects of individuals’ personal development.