The experience of counselors in training and their primary partners through graduate school

The journey to becoming a counselor affords many opportunities for personal growth and change. It is a journey that will be experienced not only by the enrolled student but by their primary partner as well. This phenomenological study explored these experiences from the viewpoint of both the counselor in training and their non-student spouse. Four couples took part in this study through two rounds of individual interviews and subsequent focus group meetings. Three primary themes emerged along with several subthemes that served to express the essence of the participants' experiences.