Residents of the U. S.-Mexico border region have the immense task of reconciling two different and often incompatible cultures, traditions, and languages. The cultural and environmental conditions of the South Texas border region are briefly described, and economic and social conditions are reviewed. The unique counseling needs of borderlanders of Mexican descent are identified and discussed. In order to properly provide counseling services to "fronterizos," mental health professionals must be bilingual and must understand the socioeconomic factors of the area and the social dynamics between the two nations. The counselor is confronted by challenges of counseling bilingual clients in two languages, differences of culture within each of the language or national traditions, high rates of substance abuse, violence, and depression, and the not always smooth transformation of traditions from the past. Assets of the region include a strong emphasis on family and personal relationships. Specific issues for school, college, mental health, and substance abuse counselors are highlighted; education opportunities and issues are reviewed. The counseling professional "en la frontera" can facilitate the process of a client developing a strong bicultural identity that effectively weaves together the fabrics of the two cultures. (EMK)