The issue that is a veritable cause for concern in training is that of relating theory to practice. Training programmes for counsellors, for instance, purports to provide the counsellor-in-preparaion with the 'knowledge' to become an effective practitioner. The intending counsellors are thus expected to take this 'knowledge', which is often theoretical in nuture, to real-life situations and apply it in practice. Though it sounds quite logical, literature in this area and experience abound with evidence that it simply does Not work. The gap between actual practice and the theoretical inputs imparted in hboratory situations with the intention of guiding practice is so substantial that the relevance of counsellor preparation progranzmes often receivesjlak. This is so; muinljl because, the paper argues, training is seen in isolation and not in the institutional context. To this effect, the paper raises various issues and takes up for discussion just one i.e., the selection processes of potential counsellors, which is normally taken for granted, and explains the processes involved in the collaborative selection of co:!nsellors. (The krms 'training' and 'orientation' have been used interchangeably for the present purpose). This paper will contribute significantly to the debate on counsellor training in the context of India as well as comparable situations in other developing countries.