A Pilot Study of Online Group Leadership Skills: Perceived Usage and Difficulty Level

Online counseling service delivery is increasing in frequency and one such modality is online group work. As such, research needs to thoroughly investigate the utility of online groups, including leadership training, skills, and experiences within online groups. This pilot study investigated the perceptions of applied group counseling skills among nine master’s-level counseling students as they led online groups for at-risk virtual high school students. The findings indicated different types of skills were considered easy, difficult, or not used by a majority of participants, highlighting the disconnection between face-to-face and online group leadership skill development and understanding. Implications for counselor education are discussed.