Training and supervision of group leaders were discussed widely, but very few empirical studies have inquired into the process of advanced learning in leading counseling groups from trainees’perspectives. The aim of the study is to better understand the trainees’conception of the learning process. Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR), a discovery-oriented research methodology in the examination and description of training/supervision, will be applied to this study in order to promote the reliability and validity of the study. Accordingly, this exploratory qualitative study seek to study trainee’s experiences of learning process in group training and supervision based on their perception of critical events. Two research instruments, the “Critical Events Questionnaire”and the “Supervisory Relationship Interview Guide”, will be developed based on “Critical Incidents Questionnaire”(Heppner & Roehlke,1984) and “Guided Inquiry”(Heppner & Rosenberg, 1992). Eight doctorate level trainees, who will received training and supervision based on an experimental training model, will participate in the study. Critical events obtained after each group trainee-training/supervision session will be judged on opened-coding. One week after the last training and supervisory session, each trainee will be interviewed individually to obtain his/her perception of supervisory relationship with the supervisor as well as with peer trainees, the data will be judged on opened-coding, too. Research data will be analyzed case by case first, and then cross cases. Conclusions drawn from the findings will be used to improve the experimental training model and suggestion will be provided for future research and supervision
