Le Chat
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It sounds like it would make the most sense for you to only apply to programs that you are serious about attending. Why apply to programs that you have no desire to attend and move to, and feel like are not a good fit. That would end up being money spent without any return for you.
I think it depends on whether you really want to attend THIS program or if you feel it is more important to attend any program and begin sooner (sort of weighing the short term and long term outcomes for you.)
The counselor in me would also say it is not crazy and seems both logical and high-risk but with some expected positive outcome attached to the risk. I am doing the same whenever I apply again. It is more important for me to have a good fit and meet my research goals rather than start sooner with a program that does not match. I think of PhD programs like marriage in that way. Why marry a program if I know it won't be a good fit for me?
- emdreaming, sparrow123, Jay's Brain and 1 other
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This is very helpful. I can't speak to the Social Work profession, but only to some of the nuances between the field of Psychology and the field of Counseling. In state where I live, you can be licensed with a Master's level program in psychology and work under supervision of a Licensed Psychologist. You can also be licensed as a counselor by completing an accredited program in counseling (CACREP.) My Master's program prepares you to be licensed in psychology as an LPA, and supposedly with proper coursework can prepare you to be licensed as counselor as well. The difficulty lies in the differences between requirements and courses in the state accreditation for psychology and accreditation for counseling.
This can cause some confusion and difficulty in internship requirements and the like. I personally would not recommend that someone try to be licensed in one field if the program is not accredited for that field (e.g. licensed in counseling in a psychology program.) It is possible, but not ideal to have to switch back and forth between professional fields.
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I am looking at becoming a Licensed Psychologist and completing an APA accredited program. My end goal is to work in the medical field and work/research disability topics (emphasis on diagnosis and assessment of ASD.) When I begin a PhD program I will have completed a Master's in Clinical Psychology and be licensed as a therapist.
I am interested in hearing from any other individuals with disabilities that are applying to, currently attending, or formerly attended an APA accredited Psychology program. I feel like there are many considerations and decisions I have to make, and as my disabilities are mainly medically related aspects such as health insurance and schedule are something I have to think about. I have been told that programs cannot discriminate based on disability, but I definitely worry about keeping up with the sequence of courses/practicum etc... and balancing everything.
If anyone has suggestions (even if you are attending a program and do not live with disability) they are greatly appreciated! Isn't adulting fun?!
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On 7/6/2019 at 7:30 PM, RTIAssessmentsandIEPsOhmy said:
Hi all! I would love some advice!
I am currently a School Psychologist working in a large school district. I want to go back and get my Ph.D. and do research on Autism Spectrum Disorders. However, I am having some difficulty finding school psychology programs which do research on this subject. Would it be more prudent for me to look into Clinical Psychology programs or continue my search for a School Psychology PhD program?
What is your end goal? A PhD in School Psychology would likely offer more specified training in terms of studying/assessment for ASD, as well as the population age focus. The University of Houston's School Psychology program has some research on ASD, depending on what area of ASD you want to focus on. I think it would be prudent to look at Clinical programs, but the time to completion might be longer as well as the potential conflict of career areas (unless Licensed Psychologist or academia is your focus.)
I am also looking at School Psych PhD programs with emphasis on assessment of ASD and PDD, so best of luck to you!
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I think that any of these would help you accomplish your goals, but it boils down to what you want to prioritize.
If earning potential/best rates for private or other practice- a PsyD or PhD in Clinical Psych has the highest earning potential mainly due to ability to administer assessments (which involve more money.) Being a Licensed Psychologist may also allow for more flexibility and variety in the type of work you do (such as contract work, behavior intervention or really whatever interests you.)
If psychotherapy alone and not assessment interests you, as well as shorter time in school/less money then either the MSW or Master's in Counseling/Psychology might be the best option. I'm from a different region, but what I understand is that the LCSW on the East Coast is often a very marketable career, more so than being a Licensed Counselor. CACREP is another consideration as many license boards are moving towards those standards for Master's programs.
Another consideration related to your background is any interest in research you may have, with the amount of research involved from Low-High being Master's/PsyD/PhD. For what it is worth, I think that PhD and PsyD programs in Clinical Psychology would definitely find your public health experience very valuable.
Financial aid can vary widely based on the school itself, I personally look for programs that are forward about their financial aid offerings. I think that typically the PhD or PsyD programs offer some kind of assistant-ship related to financial aid, and it can be difficult to work a more full-time schedule if that is something you need to continue.
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I would tag on to Dance Dementia's comment that the main benefit would be supervising LMFT-associates and LPC-interns (or whatever your state calls them.) Also, if you ever wanted to pursue a PhD program you would be able to choose from Counselor Education or Marriage and Family Therapy if that is a goal of yours.
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On 5/2/2019 at 5:56 PM, BananaSlug4MSW said:
My attainable dream job would be a high-ranking clinical social worker with the Air Force. My ultimate dream job would be a forensic psychologist but that's would be better suited for "ideal" me that could handle all life throws at her, not the "real" me that would probs have an emotional breakdown a few months in (because the justice system is too much yo) ?
I 100% feel you on that! I would like to think I am resilient, but faaar too empathic and I cry during arguments. My career as a lawyer would be over in an hour. lol
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1. Rehabilitation Counseling researcher and professor.
2. Writer for mental health resources/publications.
3. Running a rehabilitation center for special needs animals (big cats would be ideal.)
4. OBGYN specializing in REI and surgical interventions (if I was able-bodied I'd jump on that.)
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Late to this topic, but I was and will be a disabled applicant for 2021 again. It's tricky having medical disability that is so unpredictable and costly. I have noticed that most of the accessible programs/campuses are up-front about it (e.g. it does not take a great deal of work or research to find accommodation services, they have diversity programs that exist etc...) I have had the most success with being upfront about my circumstances with professors/supervisors/housing etc...
The feelings of inadequacy, of "being behind" linger but I remind myself of how much I have accomplished in different realms than my peers. My path is going to look different, and I am okay with that.
- SurLeQuai, oldmanapplicant, 1996kayden and 1 other
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1. When is the best time to apply for clinical jobs at the end of a Clinical Master's?
2. Any advice for applying to clinical jobs while in graduate school? Or tailoring my application to therapy jobs and what supervisors/employers are looking for?
3. Did anyone apply for jobs by contacting a potential supervisor? How did that go?
I graduate in December and my internship will be over Summer/Fall semesters. I take my licensing exams in the fall. I was thinking late summer/early fall would be a good time to start. My license will be in counseling.
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20 hours ago, dancedementia said:
Makes sense! I take it you're planning on applying to PhD programs in Counselor Ed?
Yes! And possible Rehabilitation Counselor Education.
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On 4/8/2019 at 12:55 PM, dancedementia said:
I'm curious about your transition from psych to counseling! (I'm making the opposite move). What about counseling was a better match for you?
Sure! My main motivation for graduate education has been 1) To contribute to research on individuals with disabilities and 2) To train future/current mental health practitioners on working with individuals with disabilities. As I progressed through my Master's program I realized some of my personal dislike of assessments and testing and mostly that it didn't help me reach my goals.
It's mostly due to the focus on what meets my goals, the accessibility of those programs versus Psych, and the greater ability to train future mental health practitioners at the Master's level.
And it is also largely personal logistics that shifted my focus.
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Hello all,
Now that I have switched from the Psych field to Counseling I wanted to open up a thread for applicants to Counseling Master's and Counselor Education PhD programs.
Whether you are studying School Counseling, Rehabilitation Counseling etc... this is open to you!
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I wanted to see if anyone here has a Master's in Psychology and has worked in research, and if they enjoyed their experience. I am graduating next year with a Master's in Clinical Psychology (license eligible) and am passionate about psychological research, with the goal of a PhD. I know that I wouldn't be independent, but was curious about the quality of research jobs with a Master's degree.
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On 9/22/2018 at 12:48 PM, sassyyetclassy said:
Just curious since I have to do this for some of my schools and wanted to know if others had to do it for their programs as well:
Do y'all have to write a statement of purpose/letter of intent in addition to a personal statement/diversity statement?
I think I am fine in terms of the statement of purpose and what direction I want to take it, but I am unclear what direction I should go in terms of my personal statement/diversity statement without sounding repetitive.
I read in other blog posts that the personal statement is supposed to be more about the life experiences that inform your field of study, so should I focus exclusively on that if I am already writing about my research experience and professional experience in my statement of purpose/letter of intent?
I have had to write just a few diversity statements in addition to an SOP. My SOP highlights experience, education, interests blah blah blah. My diversity statement describes the characteristics that make me "unique" and a positive contribution to the program and vocation.
Yes to life experiences, personal characteristics, hardships, in the personal/diversity statement.
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There is an APA internship/felloswhip program in my university's town that has a large number of PsyD's that come through, and the training is in NeuroPsychology. Some of their programs:
Mercer University- Individual had a Health/Medical Psych focus and internship/fellowship training.
Pacific University- individual had APA accredited internship and fellowship in Neuropsychology at ivy league program.
George Fox University
Yeshiva. University of Denver.
I also take a look at licensure rates, and rates of completion ( like someone already said, if it is more than 5/6 years that might hint at some potential problems with the program.)
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Hello all,
I noticed there wasn't a thread for School Psychology applicants/current students. I am applying to School Psychology PhD programs for 2019 (eligible as a specialist and licensed psychologist.)
Current schools I am looking at:
Texas Women's University
Texas A&M University
University of Houston
University of Central Arkansas
Tulane
Louisiana State
Oklahoma State
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For those applying to or pursing a PhD in Psychology that is non-clinical, what made you decide to pursue this vs. the clinical field?
My primary reason for studying Psychology is to contribute to research, and I would like to be able to devote a significant amount of time. I also greatly enjoy academic teaching and relevant work. My concern with a Clinical Program is that the focus on therapy and assessment might draw away from research possibilities, or that my time and focus would be too divided. Essentially, clinical work would take time away from what I really want to do.
Thoughts? Advice?
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Alright y'all, I'm back on the gravy train. I'm focusing on Health Psychology and Clinical Health Psychology this year, branching out to research oriented programs.
So far:
UT Southwestern Clinical Psychology
UT Arlington Health Psychology
UT El Paso Health Psychology
SMU Clinical Health
University of Alabama Birmingham Medical Clinical
University of South Alabama Clinical-Counseling
UMKC Health Psychology
University of New Mexico Health/Clinical Health
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For any of you that have a Master's level license- Social Work, MFT, Counseling etc... Did any of you work at the Master's license level before pursuing a Psychology program. I am still interested in being a Licensed Psychologist, but would like to gain experience in the field as a Licensed Counselor.
The supervision period is around 2 years before I am fully licensed, so I would like to work for about that long. Just trying to think of how to gain the experiences I need for PhD programs.
TIA!
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I'm currently in a Master's program- the result of me applying to PhD programs for the 2017 cycle. I decided to put off applications until the 2020 cycle. The reasons: Due to illness I wasn't as productive in my research work as I would like to be. This gives me more time for pubs/presentations. The second is so I can actually finish my Master's and work to save money/have job options when I begin a PhD program. My goal is to be a psychologist but for now I am getting the LPC license for logistical reasons.
For me it boils down to life with chronic illness and doing what is best for me, health wise.
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Thanks everyone! My health insurance coverage ends in a year and a half so that has been a big motivating factor (that and income, plus PhD program scheduling.) I'm still debating the decision but seriously considering the delay.
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Looking for some insight or experience from those that are in Psychology Master's programs and planning to apply for Clinical Psychology Ph.D's. I am a non-psychology undergrad, and in a Clinical Psychology M.S. program with undergraduate pre-requisites. My application cycle consideration would be Fall 2019, but I wouldn't finish my Master's program until December 2019. I also came into the program with zero research experience, by the time of applications I would have 4 semester's worth.
My concerns are #1-Whether it is worth the money and time if I might just be rejected, and #2 whether I should consider finishing the program for a more solid backup plan (I have recurrent chronic illness related health issues). If I graduate in December I would work in Research from January-August (assuming acceptance into a Ph.D program.)
Thoughts?
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I'm also trying to be involved in 2 labs if possible. It gets me two different experiences to list, and possibly twice the amount of CV material. It's hard to put a lot of time into research during regular semesters as a graduate student, so summer lets me devote time to research (online classes being more flexible.)
Counseling Masters vs PhD
in Psychology Forum
Posted
I think there are some differences in potential leadership with a PhD in Counselor Education, especially in academic or research settings. If you want to be a director of a university counseling or similar center, or research center you frequently need a PhD in Counselor Ed for those types of positions. A PhD in Counselor Ed also opens up more training potential and supervision if that is something you are interested in.
I have noticed that more university mental health org are looking for people with a PhD in Counseling or Clinical Psychology, and it does appear that the field of psychology has more flexibility overall in positions you can hold. As far as populations go I don't think that the level of education would limit or expand this very much, other than PhD programs can allow more specialization and experience (especially in psychology.)