Experiences of Beginning Counselors

Four beginning counselors participated in a phenomenological inquiry that explored their experiences specific to their first year as counselors. The researcher was driven to carry out the inquiry by his experience of his first counseling position, a psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR) specialist. Far from his expectation, the PSR job description did not allow him to practice counseling and wondered what other beginning counselors experienced. The Phenomenological Methodology was chosen from among other approaches for the study because of its appropriateness to explore the meaningful experiences of beginning counselors. The methodology enabled the researcher to facilitate a dialogue through in-depth interviews that culminated into a thick description of their experiences. Data collected were analyzed in order to develop categories. From these categories the following themes emerged that summarized their experiences: (a) expectations, (b) transitioning, (c) exciting experience, (d) challenging experience, (e) perceptions of the level of preparedness, and (f) coping with challenges.