This paper investigates the ability of portfolios to stimulate the acquisition of multicultural counseling competence within counselors-in-training. It also compares the efficacy of portfolios to case formulation, another method of competence development. Students (N=27) attending a required course on multicultural counseling at a large Midwestern university were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group was trained to develop a portfolio of their multicultural competence and the other was trained in the process of developing an ecologically oriented case formulation. The results offer qualified support for assuming that portfolios and specific training in ecological case formulation are effective techniques to stimulate multicultural counseling competence, but contribute differently to the process. The results also suggest that developing a portfolio better prepares counselors to effectively engage with clients for whom issues of culture are an essential aspect of the presenting problem. Limitations of the study are reviewed and a discussion is provided of the implications of using portfolios in training for multicultural competence. (Contains 24 references.) (JDM)