This study is to gain a full understanding of experiences of counselor development as a wounded healer
and their meaning. For this purpose, this study explored how the wound healing experiences of counselors
were revealed in the experiences of counselor development and countertransference experiences of counselors
as wounded healers. Giorgi’s phenomenological method was utilized and five themes were derived from
in-depth interviews with nine participants. The derived themes were ‘feeling responsibility for healing
others through wound healing experiences’, ‘enhancing understanding and empathy with clients through
wound healing experiences’, ‘gaining confidence in healing through wound healing experiences’, ‘getting
aware of countertransference’, and ‘developing the skills to manage countertransference’. The findings are
as follows: First, the wound healing experiences have become the resources to expand understanding and
empathy with clients and given the responsibility and confidence in healing clients. Second, the wound
experiences of counselors may cause countertransference. As counselors have developed, the awareness of
countertransference and its managing skills have enhanced. In conclusion, counselors as wounded healers
experienced transformation in the perception of their wounds and growth.