SOCIO-CULTURAL COMPETENCE OF A PRESENT-DAY COUNSELOR: CURRENT PROSPECTS AND FUTURE CHALLENGES

This article presents a theoretical analysis of socio-cultural determinants which influence counseling practice both with the empirical study of stated phenomena in the professional awareness of counseling psychologists. The culturally appropriate approach in counseling is generally recognized in the modern multicultural world. The specific feature of professional psychologist – sociocultural competence – isrightly considered to be an integral part of general professional competency of a counselor. Thus, the subject-matterof this investigation is the socio-cultural awareness of counselors as a starting point oftheir socio-cultural competence. The Sociocultural Awareness Questionnairefor counseling psychologists, MMPI short version (Mini-Mult), Eysenck Personality Inventory Lie Scale were administered to psychologists (N=253) from Ukraine, Russian Federation, Belarus, Federal Republic of Germany and Finland, aged 22 to 68, with counseling work experience from 1 to 38 years. Principal component analysis (PCA) extracted six factors for socio- cultural awareness of psychologists: importance of psychologist's personal «Self»; understanding client's feelings / states; influence of age and experience on professional behavior; searching of culturally-appropriate methods of psychological interventions; psychologization of client's psycho- emotional state; commitment to the traditions of anti-psychiatry. The suggested results are able to provide a solid framework for future, large- scale study of the cultural aspects of counseling.