Osipchuk, I. V. Analysis of Psychological and Pedagogical Aspects of Training Specialists in Psychological Counseling in Russia and Abroad

Abstract: The article is devoted to the problems of training counseling psychologists and describes aims and targets of their education. The author of the article analyzes stages and conditions of psycholog8ical education and describes Russian and foreign approaches to teaching counseling psychology. From the point of view of the general science, psychological assistance means the sphere and form of activity aimed at helping a person or a community to solve diverse problems created as a result of one’s life in a society. Psychological assistance is emotional, axiological and existential support of a person or a community in difficult situations arising in the course of their personal or social being. Professional identity of a psychologist reduces the distance between the ‘Functional Self’ and ‘Existential Self’, decreases anxiety and increases one’s personal potentials and becomes a condition and a stimulus for further personal growth and identity formation. One’s cognition defines his existential and social views. The ‘technological’ level of the described model determines the personal level and the latter returns one’s personal ‘Self’ to the role image of profession. Being absorbed in professional issues and methods, a psychological applies these or those conceptions, methods (technics) to himself and, in the course of this professional and personal improvement, returns from his ‘Existential Self’ to ‘Functional Self’ and achieves the desired professional and personal identity.

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