Abstract

This study explored the lived experiences of counselors providing psychotherapy to clients with serious illnesses. To achieve this, in-depth interviews were conducted with eight counselors experienced in working with this population. The collected data were analyzed using thematic analysis, following Braun and Clarke's (2021) procedures. The analysis identified seven major themes and 18 subthemes: (1) emotional experiences, (2) existential companionship, (3) accumulation of loss, (4) self-care, (5) intervention practices in serious illness settings, (6) existential reflection and transformation, and (7) perceptions of the counseling environment and support systems. Participants described experiencing a range of emotions within the uncontrollable context of illness progression and the possibility of death. They reported engaging in existentially grounded companionship, encountering repeated loss, attempting to maintain self-care, and experiencing changes in their understanding of life and death. These findings provide a detailed account of the inner experiences of counselors working in this context, contributing to our understanding of counseling practice in serious illness and offering implications for future research.