In the present paper the authors reported some results of a preliminary investigation on the process of a short-term group psychotherapy for college/university young adults, carried out within the Psychological Assistance Service for students – Dynamic Psychotherapy Service (SAP-DPS) of the University of Padua. The study aimed to examine the thematic development during the course of psychotherapy, with specific attention to both patients and psychotherapists. For this purpose, techniques of content analysis have been applied to session reports, with the support of Atlas.ti software. Results, however partial and not generalizable, highlighted the developmental nature of emerging adulthood. This paper can be a meaningful starting point for subsequent studies to deepen the relationship between efficacy and process, and the dialogue between research and clinical practice.