The dissertation provides a theoretical justification and practical solution to the problem of preparing future psychologists to provide psychological assistance to clients in difficult life situations, which consists in identifying, theoretically substantiating, and experimentally testing the pedagogical conditions of such training, as well as developing the content and methodological support for their implementation.
Based on the theoretical analysis of the basic concepts of the study and taking into account the substantiated essence and systematized types of difficult life situations, the author’s definition of future psychologists’ readiness to provide psychological assistance to clients in difficult life situations has been formulated as an integrative personal and professional formation that characterizes the orientation and ability of a future psychologist for conscious, practically effective, emotionally balanced, and responsible implementation of psychological assistance, considering the specificity of the difficult life situation, psychological state, needs, and resources of the client. The structure of the specified readiness has been substantiated, comprising five interconnected components: motivational-value (reflects the incentive and value basis of the future psychologist’s readiness for helping activity), cognitive-content (characterizes the theoretical basis of providing psychological assistance), emotional-empathic (characterizes the future psychologist’s ability for emotionally mature, supportive interaction with the client while maintaining their own psychological stability), operational-practical (reflects the ability to implement psychological assistance in specific professional actions), and reflective-personal (reflects the future psychologist’s ability to realize, evaluate, and adjust their own professional activity and responsibly maintain a professional stance in interaction with the client). The features of the modern preparation of future psychologists to provide psychological assistance to clients in difficult life situations within Ukrainian and foreign educational theory and practice have been identified. It has been established that in the Ukrainian scientific and educational space, such training is represented predominantly through separate areas of a psychologist’s professional activity and is characterized by a fragmented reflection in educational and professional programs. In foreign experience, a more pronounced practice-oriented organization of training is observed, which involves the sequential formation of professional skills, work with simulated and real cases, acquisition of practical experience, systematic feedback, and supervisory support. Key provisions significant for organizing the studied preparation have been determined: its systemic and cross-cutting nature; orientation toward various types of difficult life situations; combination of theoretical acquisition and professional
action; analysis of professional cases and simulation of professional interaction; acquisition of practical experience; provision of feedback, reflection, and supervision; preparation for activity under conditions of emotional burden and uncertainty; and consideration of the contemporary war context. The methodological foundations for studying the problem of preparing future psychologists to provide psychological assistance to clients in difficult life situations have been substantiated, represented by systemic, competence-based, activity-based, student-centered, axiological, trauma-informed, and resource-based approaches. Their provisions are operationalized through Ludwig von Bertalanffy’s general system theory, David Kolb’s experiential learning theory, Donald Schön’s concept of reflective practice, Cal Stoltenberg and Brian McNeill’s Integrative Developmental Model of supervision, Donald Super’s theory of career development, Carl Rogers’ person-centered theory, Judith Herman’s trauma and recovery theory, crisis
intervention theory, Salvatore Maddi’s hardiness theory, and James Gross’s process model of emotion regulation. General pedagogical principles – such as systematicity, practical orientation of learning content, gradual increase in task complexity, and interdisciplinary integration – as well as specific principles – including professional activity simulation, reflexivity, psychological safety of the educational environment,
humanistic (value-driven) orientation, and professional-ethical normativity – have been substantiated.
