THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE COUNSELOR'S PERCEPTION OF STUDENTS AND CERTAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COUNSELOR'S TRAINING, BACKGROUND, AND PRESENT ENVIRONMENT WAS STUDIED. THE SUBJECTS WERE 42 COUNSELORS, SELECTED AT RANDOM, REPRESENTING A CROSS-SECTION OF FULL AND PART-TIME COUNSELORS IN ALABAMA HIGH SCHOOLS. AN 84 ITEM IDEAL STUDENT Q-SORT, DESIGNED TO REVEAL WHETHER A COUNSELOR PERCEIVES STUDENTS AS FLEXIBLE OR RIGID IN THEIR INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, AND A CHECKLIST OF 50 COUNSELOR ASSIGNMENTS WERE USED TO GATHER DATA. THE CHI SQUARE TECHNIQUE WAS USED TO TEST SIGNIFICANCE, AND THE COEFFICIENT OF CORRELATION WAS USED TO DETERMINE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COUNSELOR PERCEPTIONS AND PRESENT DUTIES. EXPERIENCES PRIOR TO COUNSELING SEEM TO HAVE A GREATER EFFECT ON THE COUNSELOR'S PERCEPTION OF STUDENTS THAN DOES HIS ENVIRONMENT, THE AMOUNT OF TIME SPENT IN COUNSELING, OR OTHER DUTIES PERFORMED. THIS STUDY SUGGESTS THAT THE MORE EFFECTIVE COUNSELOR SHOULD BE A FORMER TEACHER, SHOULD HAVE ATTENDED AN NDEA GUIDANCE INSTITUTE, WOULD PROFIT BY PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP, AND SHOULD HAVE ADDITIONAL GRADUATE WORK. (AO)