This digest on counselor intentionality notes that the counseling profession has historically searched for characteristics and behaviors that contribute to successful helping relationships. It identifies one such characteristic, the counselor's level and degree of intentionality, as relating to the notion that successful counselors select their helping behaviors and choose specific strategies with a clear purpose and direction. A section on background begins with Rollo May's introduction of the concept of intentionality as a client characteristic in the late 1960s and goes on to trace the development of the concept through Ivey's (1994) description of counselor intentionality as a process of "acting with a sense of capability and deciding from a range of alternative actions." The next section focuses on the bipolarity of intentionality, noting that intentionality can be either constructive or destructive. The risks surrounding unintentionality are then discussed. A section on research of counselors' intentions notes that preliminary studies have concluded that some relationships exist between counselors' intentions and helpful processes. The digest concludes with a brief summary of intentionality in the counseling process. (NB)