The counseling profession has come a long way in establishing standards for counselor training. With the increasing focus on developmental competencies in the profession, specific, updated guidelines in the core areas of entry-level counselor preparation are essential. This handbook is written for those who are interested in examining and implementing competency-based approaches to counselor preparation, practice and evaluation. It is intended for counselor educators, supervisors, aspiring counselors and paraprofessionals who wish to examine and implement competency-based approaches to counselor preparation, practice, and evaluation. The book's format makes it suitable for use as a textbook--although it may be used in conjunction with regular counselor education texts--in that general competencies are listed adjacent to specific performance guidelines. An assessment scale for each of the performance guidelines is included. Particular attention is given to competencies and guidelines that reflect national accreditation standards, state and national credentialing standards, and competency and credentialing standards of national counseling and development organizations. Individual chapters focus on knowledge and skills related to specific settings such as schools, mental health agencies, and universities. Attention to ethics has been infused throughout each chapter to underscore the importance of professional morals. (Contains over 500 references in selected readings.) (RJM)