This guide is designed to increase the financial counselors' awareness of the counseling field and to provide material which may be used by them in forming a personal counseling approach. Several approaches and techniques of counseling are presented as well as their potential application to financial counseling including the rationale approach, decision-making skills, values calrification, assertiveness training, crisis intervention, and referral. Strategies for developing professional competence in the area of financial counseling are also discussed. (Author/HLM)