From the author: This article was written on the basis of more than 25 years of observations of the professionalization of psychologists whose vocation has become advisory work. Abroad, such specialists are called psychotherapists (outside the clinical context). Psychology as a science and practice of working with people is perceived by many young people in a romantic arena - as some kind of magical (exclusive and unique) opportunity to become better, healthier, richer and even happier. The prospects drawn by this kind of imagination are rosy, filled with meaningful and creative work; one’s own face, which occupies a central place in such “images,” is beautiful and happy. And this is “forever!” I believe that no other field of knowledge has such a “wonderful reputation.” The rating of the popularity of the profession of psychologist among applicants for the last couple of decades has invariably occupied a leading position. Young psychologists, succumbing to the charm of the illusion of a “quality of life guaranteed by science,” graduate from psychological faculties and find themselves in the position of wanderers. The reality of life as a psychologist appears before them in a completely different – ​​uncertain and far from unattractive light. It does not save, but significantly aggravates the chaos of adaptation to the profession of the “psychologist’s competence complex,” which I wrote about earlier. The essence of this complex is to form the belief that the acquired knowledge is sufficient both for the desired exclusive life and for working with people. For a psychologist, due to the above-mentioned specifics of the “exclusive of wonderful opportunities” brand, the quality of life and the quality of his work practically coincide. The “life activity” of a psychologist simply cannot be - by definition - of low quality (like, say, that of an official, a janitor or the head of his own business...). A psychologist with a “low quality of life” is simply impossible, since his failure cannot be demanded by anyone (while representatives of other professions are needed with different abilities, personal characteristics and diligence). A practical psychologist-consultant (including a qualified coach) and a modern psychotherapist are in great demand at the present time. And the need for such specialists continues to grow. It turns out that psychology in its various applied aspects should, in theory, become a mass profession. Like the profession of a teacher or doctor. Only psychologists of high quality of life are needed and they are needed immediately after university. It is clear that this is simply impossible. Because for a doctor, for example, there is an official time and space for professionalization (even a highly qualified surgeon, as they themselves joke, has his own small cemetery). The same can be said about a scientist and a teacher... It’s probably more difficult for a hairdresser or a cook, but the type of “product” itself allows for serious “tolerances and adjustments” in a creative experiment, so to speak. A practical psychologist experimenting with the quality of psychological assistance in psychological counseling is nonsense. There is a clear dichotomy here: “either you are really useful in helping a person, or you are not a psychologist.” There is no space and time for professionalization. So where is the way out? A psychologist and a modern psychotherapist do not hide behind a diagnosis, like their predecessors. For a doctor, in the case of God forbid, an accurate diagnosis and the “procedure” of medical actions verified in accordance with it is salvation. “I did everything right, although the patient died”! If a doctor can be saved from serious sanctions by adherence to a divinely approved and “tested over the years” method of providing medical care in case of serious deterioration in a patient’s health, then such a practice will certainly ruin a psychologist. The secret of the success of providing psychological assistance is revealed in discovering the difference between psychological and medical assistance. It has long been known that it is authenticity and the corresponding intentionalityThe personality of a psychotherapist or psychologist is the basis for his success as a professional. And this is where the required resource for the professionalization of a consulting psychologist and a modern psychotherapist lies. A young specialist – a graduate of the Faculty of Psychology is able to actualize the qualities of authenticity and take a real position of unconditional acceptance of the client’s personality and non-judgment in a professional context. This does not require knowledge of subtleties and techniques, any secrets - this is what comes with experience and characterizes mastery. But the initial stage of adaptation to the profession of a consultant and psychotherapist and the level of skill are fundamentally of the same nature - this is a respectful attitude towards the client’s personality and one’s own personal congruence. This is, in principle, enough to begin learning the practice of providing psychological assistance to people. Indicative in this regard is the experience of the positive psychological influence of not professionals at all - significant people who have the qualities of personal strength and are interested in supporting those in need. The healing influence of authority figures who do not have any professional psychological training is well known. It is easy to detect some of these aspects in the work of so-called “traditional healers”, who frame their “activities” in quasi-scientific “terms”, appealing to the mythological level of the client’s psyche. Which rather harms the real positive effect than helps achieve it. However, despite the contextual and behavioral setting, positive effects are often actually observed. That is, the state of personal strength, internal confidence, the talented role of “thoroughness and awareness,” the healer’s unconditional interest in the emergence of “scenario effects” and, of course, interest in the effectiveness of his work (as well as some direct and indirect suggestions) create the phenomenon of influence on the client . But such a position can hardly be characterized as authentic. In the professional development of a consulting psychologist and a modern psychotherapist, a fundamental role is played by these two systemic qualities of his individuality: authenticity and intentionality. Only on their basis is it possible to have both time and space for professionalization at the initial stage of adaptation to the profession, as well as a creative systemic-generative approach to the formation and development of mastery. It should be especially emphasized that the individuality of a psychologist of this type is in great demand in various types of organizations, and only this type of individuality is capable of ensuring the necessary level of client success in private practice. For a master, this process is a way to be not only successful, but also happy. For a beginner, the empirical content of the category “happiness” as a semantic one has yet to be approached in the process of mastering mastery. In fact, this is the only fundamental difference between a beginner and a master – in the dynamics of achieving happiness as a sensory-spiritual vital phenomenon. In essence, the main pillars - authenticity and intentionality - are, as it were, predetermined by the course of the previous upbringing and education (self-education and self-education) of the personality of the psychotherapist and psychological consultant. Intentionality should be considered not only as a philosophical existential-phenomenological category, but also as an empirical value-motivational and behavioral-attitude status of the individual. Viktor Frankl, in his famous first book, The Concentration Camp Psychologist (Saying Yes to Life), described intentionality as “stubbornness of the spirit.” Intentionality as an unconscious vector of a person’s purposeful behavior goes back to the semantic categories of his individuality, to his Purpose and Mission. And here the cause-and-effect relationship is not entirely clear: is it the authenticity and intentionality of a person that prompts a person to choose and embody himself in.