Experiencing group during COVID-19: strengths and challenges of online experiential groups for counseling students in Türkiye

The COVID-19 health crisis forced higher education institutions to shift from classroom to remote learning platforms. This transition affected the counseling students’ experiential group sessions, which moved from in-person to online delivery. This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of 20 undergraduate counseling students who participated in an eight-week hybrid experiential groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data was obtained through three focus group sessions using semi-structured interview questions, weekly journals, and group process reflection papers. The results of phenomenological content analysis revealed three primary themes: the strengths of the online group counseling experience, the weaknesses and challenges of online group counseling practice, and recommendations for future online group counseling practice. The results suggest that, despite challenges with online experiential group counseling, it offers significant opportunities for personal growth and professional development among counseling students. Furthermore, it supports the integration of online experiential groups into counselor education, thus providing implications for counselor educators.