Counselor credentialing can be confusing to counseling students as well as counseling practitioners. There is as yet no definitive set of national standards applicable within and among states. This monograph aims to clarify the meaning, value, and drawback of various types of credentials, so as to help counselors decide which credentials are desirable and/or legally necessary. The text may also be useful in counselor training program professional identity courses. The credential analyses presented here can help students in deciding upon their career direction and upon the level of training and amount of supervised experience needed to attain their professional goals. The book opens with an examination of professional credentials followed by an overview of educational credentials. Various kinds of credentials, such as national voluntary credentials and state regulatory credentials are discussed next. The flux in credentialing standards is acknowledged and chapters on creating, changing, and maintaining regulations and on reciprocity and endorsement are presented. The volume concludes with information on complaints and third-party reimbursement. Sections on frequently asked questions, guidelines for practice, discussion questions, and some suggested readings appear at the end. Contains 34 references. (RJM)