In this article the authors discuss psychological counselling as it emerges as a gendered profession in the transitional economy of Russia. Based on qualitative, semi-structured interviews with 23 female and three male practising counsellors, the article analyses their perceptions of their profession, focusing in particular on two key issues: (1) their reasons for entry into the profession; and (2) their expectations of their work as a profession. The authors argue that both female and male counsellors’ perceptions of their entry into this profession revealed highly gendered stances, and furthermore, that these were strongly imbricated in the legacies of Soviet employment policies and gender ideology.

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