hbaylor63

I have a bachelor's and master's degree in a related field, but I need to complete a few prereqs for a few of the programs I'm interested in. However, I work full-time as a clinician. It would be much easier to take courses online. I'm concerned that these courses won't be taken seriously when I'm applying to Ph.D programs. I'm not sure if they can see that the courses were taken online, but I imagine it will be obvious if my coursework is from a university in a different state. I guess I'm wondering if this will substantially hurt my chances of admission. I graduated from my master's program with a 4.0, I have research experience, and I have plenty of experience in the field (practicums + post-degree clinical experience). I haven't taken the GRE, but that's in the works. My main concern right now are prereqs.

Hi! I know a lot about each field, but I know the most about social work. I'll do my best to answer all of your questions as transparently as possible. So, counseling psychology focuses more on helping "normal" people with "normal" problems, like coping with stress, anxiety disorders, and clinical depression. Licensed psychologists can do a few things that master's level clinicians can't do. Examples include ASD assessment and diagnosis, among other things. Medical professionals, schools, and the legal system often refer people to psychologists first. Sometimes psychologists will refer patients to other mental health clinicians (or potentially LMSWs) if they fit their needs. Overall, psychologists have more "power" and make a little bit more money (this varies in private practice, as in some (most?) states clinicians in all fields can choose their rates). You will be the "top dog" of the mental health field. School psychologists are different in the sense that they often focus on disabilities, special education, ABA, etc. You can't diagnose and treat mental health disorders in the same way counseling or clinical psychologists can. This depends on the state you want to be licensed in, though. I've also heard that there is a stigma in schools because teachers often ignore suggestions because "you don't know what it's like to manage a classroom" - something I've heard from a teacher. It depends on the district. School psychologists are qualified, but that doesn't mean everyone will believe it, and to be fair, all mental health or related psychology fields experience some form of stigma. The MHC program and its transferability sound like a good deal, assuming you're admitted to the Ph.D. program. Most graduate students have assistantships of some kind that can go up to 20 hours a week. I don't think it's too much, but you'll have to manage your time well. The main difference between counseling psychology and clinical psychology is that the latter usually deals with more serious mental health issues (schizophrenia, difficult personality disorders, etc.) whereas counseling psychologists tend to focus more on "normal people" struggling to cope with depression, stress, their career, and other "normal" problems. You'll still learn many of the same things as clinical psychologists, and you're eligible for the same license. Many employers look at your license, not your Ph.D. program, unless you want to go into research or academia. Therefore, in clinical practice, your earning potential will be similar to that of clinical psychologists. Something I've noticed is that counseling psychology also tends to have a more holistic lens and a bend toward social justice. I'm not sure about school psychology because the things you do are different than clinical and counseling psychologists. I LOVE social work for its versatility. If you discover that you don't like mental health counseling, you can easily switch to less clinical positions or even "macro" positions in policy and advocacy. As I said earlier, psychologists are usually the "top dog" in the field and can perform certain assessments that LCSWs, LPCs, and LMFTs can't. However, if you're really interested in counseling or value versatility, social work is a fantastic field. You can study all kinds of things and specialize in a variety of topics. Burnout depends entirely on your area of practice and your workplace. There's also a lot of stigma surrounding the field. We're more than child welfare and CPS (most social workers don't work for CPS), but lots of people don't know that. The pay is lower than psychology unless you acquire years of experience and enter private practice. In some states, you can charge your own rates. I know many LCSWs in private practice that are making six-figure salaries. Medical social workers tend to make a lot too. If you want to do research, social work PhDs are equally as versatile. However, there isn't a new license associated with a social work Ph.D. Hopefully, this helps. I've worked alongside many professionals in various fields. Overall, psychologists make more money and people seem to value them more. I don't think that's fair, but that's the way it is. School psychologists don't do all the same things and aren't eligible for licensure as a licensed psychologist. The national license for school psychologists is the Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP). Social work is the most versatile of all the fields you've mentioned. I also want to emphasize that licensing requirements and scope of practice vary by state.