The aim of the study was to develop a theoretical understanding of conditions and mechanisms affecting experiences of the quality of emotional debriefings, using a grounded theory approach. Twenty interviews were conducted with experienced male debriefing leaders and participants in the Stockholm fire brigade and the Swedish armored United Nations battalions serving in Bosnia. Data were analyzed according to the constant comparative method. A model was formulated according to which the quality of debriefings is formed by the dynamic interplay between group and debriefing leader characteristics. The key group and debriefing leader quality is security. Furthermore, individual group member resourcefulness and vulnerability, together with the degree of knowledge and support from the management of the organization, also affect experiences of the quality of debriefings. The model is discussed in relation to existing thoughts on potentially favorable mechanisms.