Background. Legal regulation of psychological assistance in the Russian Federation is currently being implemented only by the departmental acts, and is legislatively regulated by the subject of the Russian Federation in the city of Moscow. Such legislative regulation may be found not sufficient, since existing acts do not provide a standard regulatory definition of psychological assistance, neither they define the principles and forms of rendering this assistance. Also they can hardly arrange and classify certain types of psychological activity, which results in mutually contradicting nature.

In addition, there is a need for a standard definition not only of psychological assistance, but also of psychological activity as a complex of various types of activity carried out by psychologists, and also a standard definition of the profession of a psychologist and qualification requirements including principles of psychological activity.

Objective. The objective is to prove the existing need of adopting a new federal law on psychological counselling, finding gaps in legal regulation of phychological sphere.

Research Progress. The paper analyzes the reason for accepting a new federal law on psychological counselling and the societal need in such legislation and also main provisions of the new law.

Hypothesis. The research resulted in the need for passing a federal law on psychological counselling.

Conclusion. There is a public demand for a new federal law on psychological counselling and such law will certainly create a lot of benefits for the population. It will be a tool for psychological counseling that will put the profession of a psychologist into the statute, and will clearly define types of psychological activity and set principles that the psychologist should follow.

Practical Application. The research results can be used while drafting and passing the new federal law on psychological counselling and executive regulatory acts.

Background. Currently there is a need to adopt a special federal law that covers psychological counselling of the population. The lack of such law is preventing use of uniformed terminology across the country and separating governmental and non-governmental psychological counselling rendered. Such gap also does not correspond with the interests of the clients that counselling is focused on since the experts who are allowed to extend those services are undetermined and undefined.

Objective The paper is directed at analyzing the status quo of legal regulation of the psychological counselling, finding gaps in such regulation and proving the need in a special federal law.

Research Progress. The paper takes an account of the current state of regulation of psychological counselling in the Russian Federation and foreign countries using the comparative legal analysis approach.The research resulted in a finding that there is the need in a special federal law on psychological counselling.

Conclusion. Special federal law on psychological counselling of the population is necessary to elaborate and eventually to implement for uniformity in counselling and in social work services, and also to protect the rights and interests of those who seek councelling, as well as determining the qualifications of those to render such services.

Practical Application. The research results can be used while drafting and passing a special federal law on psychological counselling and executive regulatory acts.

The article is devoted to the role of family in personal development in childhood. Main negative tendencies of family development, risk factors and basic goals of family consulting are defined. We describe the directions to develop the system of psychological help of the family.

At the beginning of the article the authors outlines a range of problems that practising psychologists are faced when they conclude contracts of psychological and psychiatric assistance, because they are not mentioned in the current Russian Legislation. The parties raise questions relating to the definition of the essential terms and conditions of the contract, the quality of the assistance provided, and legal liability.

The article provides a description of contracts for the provision of psychological support and psychiatric assistance from the standpoint of civil law: legal entities, subject, features of performance, liabilities of the parties in the contract are specified.

The sources which regulate psychological support and psychiatric assistance are identified, the Code of Ethics for psychologists among the sources regulating this activity is reviewed, the relationship between the Code of Ethics and the Federal Law is carried out.

The psychologist’s right (executor under the contract) to refuse to sign the contract or its execution is justified, the procedure and the legal consequences of such refusal is defined. The requirements of psychological (psychotherapeutic) support proved by laws and regulations and ethical standards are shown.

The authors examine the problems of legal regulation of relations, which practicing psychologists are frequently faced with in providing psychological and psychiatric assistance, including the use of modern telecommunications technology.

The requirements for psychological and psychotherapeutic services are often a matter of judgement. Due to the absence of clear (verified or measured) criteria, their quality is mainly determined by the correspondence of actual information stipulated in the contract.