The transition into counselor education programs can be markedly stressful for students, as they shift cognitively and emotionally and experience both personal and professional development (Furr & Carroll, 2003; Skovholt & Ronnestad, 1992). Howard, Inman, and Altman (2006) discussed how development in beginning counselors had largely been described theoretically. Although Skovholt and Ronnestad (1992, 1995) gave special attention to beginning counselor development, there was a dearth of research connected to the transition between lay helper and beginning student, as students are first encountering themselves and others in novel ways that may cause disequilibrium and fear (Howard, Inman, & Altman, 2006). Using a grounded theory analysis, the current study highlights how the process unfolds within this transition in regards to what counseling students are experiencing upon entering counseling programs, adding breadth and depth specific to this period of development. The theory described in this study was grounded and built through the data collected from the participants and triangulated with the conceptual context regarding previous research related to counselor development (Corbin & Strauss, 2008; Maxwell, 2005). The researcher continually maintained a reflexive, constructivist stance along with constant memoing and peer debriefing to ensure trustworthiness. Participants included eight Master's level counseling students who were experiencing the entry transition into counselor education programs. Two formal interviews and two interpretive dialogue sessions were conducted to capture the developmental process that occurred as students were entering counseling programs. Data collection and analysis within the study was guided by the goal of producing a grounded theory that accurately described and conceptualized participants' developmental processes and experiences. The final categories that emerged were "Anticipation," "Evolving Identity," "Growth and Learning," "Coping," "Choosing to Trust the Process," and "Interacting with Feedback." Implications from the results of this study could be connected to program development, supervision, and instructional practice within counselor education. Additionally, implications can be applied toward enhancing the entry-level knowledge and education of counseling students. The resulting knowledge could allow counselor educators to identify areas of strength within programmatic structures, as well as areas that could be improved in order to best serve our students during this transition. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]