Professional Identity of Future Psychologists in the Context of Readiness for Trauma-informed Practice
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The article addresses professional identity as a psychological context for the readiness of future psychologists to engage in trauma-informed practice. The relevance of the study is determined by the growing demand for psychological assistance in Ukraine and by the need to prepare specialists who can work safely, ethically, and responsibly with people affected by traumatic experiences. The purpose of the study was to theoretically substantiate and empirically determine the characteristics of professional identity among psychology students and to establish its associations with readiness to apply the principles of psychological safety, trust, collaboration, client agency, professional boundaries, and prevention of retraumatisation. The study employed a cross-sectional comparative- correlational design. The sample comprised 217 psychology students, including 78 fourth-year students at the first (bachelor’s) cycle of higher education and 139 students at the second (master’s) cycle. The Ukrainian version of the Vocational Identity Status Assessment (VISA-19), the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale–Short Form (CAAS-SF), and the authors’ research questionnaire “Readiness of Future Psychologists for Trauma-Informed Practice”, supplemented with situational tasks, were used. Master’s students demonstrated stronger career commitment making, identification with commitment, exploration in depth, career adaptability, and readiness for trauma-informed practice. Fourth-year bachelor’s students reported greater career self-doubt and commitment flexibility. The weakest areas in both groups were professional boundaries and referral, reflective self-regulation, use of supervision, and prevention of secondary traumatic stress. The results of situational tasks revealed a discrepancy between self-reported readiness and the ability to make safe and ethically justified decisions in simulated professional situations. Readiness for trauma-informed practice was positively associated with identification with career commitment, commitment making, career control, career confidence, and overall career adaptability, and negatively associated with career self-doubt. The findings substantiate the need to integrate the development of professional identity with trauma-informed competencies in psychology education and to design a specialised course and practice-oriented training programme.
Authors: H.B. Varina, O.V. Kovalova
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7223289130