[What are your career goals?]

3 hours ago, doctormelody said:

Thank you so much for this, it was very reassuring!

Did you also get the sense that there’s a sort of disdain for those who want to follow that path on that forum? Or am I just totally off-base with that?

They definitely have a problem with it. I've been reading a bunch of threads on it. They view MSW as a social work degree, and people wanting to become therapists should consider getting a different degree. But the reality is that a high proportion of therapists (at least 30-40%) have MSWs. They also believe that a MSW does not give you enough direct education to know what you are doing in therapy, which is true. But then again, a psychology PhD is supposed to be ultimate degree for therapists, and while well-versed in the theory and underlying research, I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't know much about the actual practicing of therapy either, unless it is a very clinically-focused PhD. Like most fields, there is some learning on the job that is required. And yes that is scary because you are dealing with the mental health of others, but you have to learn somehow. It seems sensical to me, to charge less, avoid patients with severe disorders, and try to help people with garden variety issues in the beginning, to ease your way in with lower risks. And then reading as much as you can on your own.

[Columbia University MSW Fall 2019]

Hope y'all hear some good news! I'm about to throw my hat in the ring with a last minute application!

[What are your career goals?]

On 2/3/2019 at 9:14 PM, doctormelody said:

Apparently I am a moron and didn't realize "clinical" doesn't necessarily mean "therapy." I was informed of this discrepancy in my thinking by a kind redditor who quickly disabused me of the notion that the easiest path towards becoming a therapist is to pursue an MSW. Guys, I don't know what to do. I feel so stupid. I really love the social justice aspect of MSW programs, and I am interested in exploring the root causes of societal problems, but... I don't know. Is becoming a therapist with your MSW really that hard to do? I know you have to complete many hours of supervision in order to get your LCSW - I'm not in the dark about everything - but I just didn't even realize that this isn't the route most people take. Both of my most recent therapists have been LCSWs and I'm pretty sure that's what I want to do, but now I'm incredibly intimidated and wondering if I should consider counseling or MFT programs. Does anyone have any thoughts on this dilemma? What are your career goals, and how to do you plan to use the MSW to achieve them?

I think I know which Reddit thread you are talking about! I had posted a similar question a few hours ago and one of the regulars tried to steer me away from the notion of becoming a therapist with a MSW, and made sure I knew that it had been discussed already several times lower in the thread. I am a seeker like you, so take this with a grain of salt, but my observation is that a MSW is one of the most efficient ways to become a therapist. For instance, a high % of the therapists in NYC have LCSWs with a MSW degree. Go on psychologytoday.com and search around for therapists. There are also quite a few that have LMSWs (so still getting their LCSW requirement hours) under a private therapy practice. I'm sure those jobs don't pay particularly well but it's 3 years of grinding until you can get your LCSW and hang your own shingle. I believe that certain programs definitely would help with being a therapist, for instance Columbia has a specific Clinical Concentration. Beyond that, I'm generally a fan of doing the legwork on my own to learn things, and not counting on school to teach me everything. Love reading books about psychology, everything from dense psychoanalytic texts to more practical CBT/DBT workbooks, etc. Yes I'm sure the first year in private practice will be stressful, but I think it will be no matter how much education I have.

 

Good luck and let me know if you learn anything relevant to our quest!