PROSPECTS OF LEGISLATIVE PROVISION OF THE ACTIVITIES OF A CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST IN UKRAINE ACCORDING TO EUROPEAN STANDARDS

Abstract

This article examines promising directions for improving the regulatory framework
governing the professional activities of clinical psychologists, taking into account the experience and best
practices of leading European Union member states. The study analyzes legislative acts as well as
regulations issued by professional self-governing organizations that define the principles of clinical
psychologists’ practice across European countries. A comparative analysis is conducted to identify
common approaches, strengths, and limitations. The relevance of the study stems from the insufficient
coherence of national legislation regulating the activities of clinical psychologists, as well as the need to
harmonize it with European standards in the context of ongoing mental health system reforms. It is
established that the current regulatory framework in Ukraine primarily focuses on the educational training
of specialists, while issues related to professional development, access to independent practice,
postgraduate training, and specialization remain inadequately regulated. The article substantiates the
need to legally establish requirements for sufficient postgraduate clinical practice, particularly in the form
of supervised clinical internships, as an essential condition for granting access to professional practice. It
also proposes directions for improving the system of professional training and specialization of clinical
psychologists, including the expansion of criteria for awarding qualification categories. Furthermore, the
study emphasizes the necessity of strengthening legislative regulation of clinical psychologists’ activities
at the statutory level, particularly through amendments to mental health legislation. The development of
social demand, along with organizational, economic, and legal preconditions for recognizing clinical
psychologists as independent professionals, is identified as a перспективное направление, with the
potential for formal consolidation of their status through the adoption of a dedicated law.