In this study, role-playing was conducted for the purpose of teaching counseling skills to university students enrolled in teacher training courses. In addition, the difficulty perceptions and significance of role playing on the part of students playing the role of the instructor were surveyed (through interviews). As a result, these students came to understand from personal experience the difficulties involved, such as confusion resulting from stress and the inability to skillfully employ knowledge after it is acquired. However, in addition to learning counseling skills, it was also realized that students judged role playing as significant. The learning effect of role playing when repeated twice was also studied. This showed that the intellectual understanding of counseling skills tends to deepen; however, understanding of the counseling skills use tends to decline.