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I am having a hard time choosing a graduate program. I am really interested in working with survivors of sexual and domestic violence as a LCSW. I am hoping to stay on the west coast, though would consider other schools if they seem like the perfect fit. I am finishing my BSW at Portland State University in Oregon now. I am not opposed to going to grad school here, but also wanting to look at all of my options. I am really wanting to specialize in trauma and domestic/sexual violence. Also interested in feminist therapy. i am looking for recommendations of programs that would be a good fit for me. Where should I start looking into? Who's research should I be following? Thanks in advance for any advice!

Hi all, I've been doing some reading on this topic, and I keep seeing that some states give LCSWs more "power," while others give more power to LPCs, and in other states there's minimal difference, etc.. My question is how do I find this information for the states I am interested in? If it helps, I'm looking at schools in Texas, New York, Colorado, and Massachusetts. I'm just not sure where to look. Thanks for any help.

I'm applying to PhD programs in clinical and counseling psychology this fall. I'm drawn specifically to a doctoral degree because I would like to do research and teach at the college level at some point in my career. However, I would like to start out as a clinician. Given the level of competition, I realize it's a strong possibility I'll be rejected the first time (or first several times) around. I have heard of people becoming LCSWs and then returning for their PhDs in order to expand their career options. What are your thoughts on this? What would being an LCSW do for a PhD application? Do you foresee any drawbacks? Thank you! (And sorry if this is posted in the wrong place--I'm new here!)

Hi everyone, Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. It is not my intention to put down any profession or discipline. I'm just confused and trying to seek advice. This may be long, so please bear with me. I'm 32 years old, and have an undergrad degree in Psychology and a master's in environmental safety. I've worked in mental health for several years, and recently decided that I want to return to school to obtain a graduate degree in the human services field. My goal is to work as a therapist and one day have my own practice working with the adult population. I keep reading and hearing that it's best to become a LCSW rather than an LPC because an MSW degree is far more marketable, profitable and recognized as opposed to a master's in Mental Health or Clinical Psychology for example. I've been accepted into an MSW program with a Micro concentration, which will begin this Fall. However, I'm having second thoughts. My main concern: Does the Social Work philosophy align well with my personal philosophy? Sometimes I get the impression that Social Work tends to, for the most part, "blame" the client's problems (like oppression or the government, etc.). I've come to understand (through my own hardships and life experiences and that of others') that looking at outside factors as the cause for our misfortunes keeps people from accessing their Higher Self, if you will. I guess you could say that I'm more into Positive Psychology. Rather than looking at how messed up the government is and perceiving ourselves as being oppressed, I believe it's important to take radical responsibility for our circumstances by looking within ourselves, and that focusing on the good in our lives will help transform the areas we are not happy about. This is all assuming a person has their basic needs met. I would never expect someone who is homeless or has nothing to eat to work on accessing their Higher Self. But basically, I'm not sure that my personal values and outlook are consistent with those of the Social Work discipline. And so I wonder if the field of Psychology would be a better fit than the field of Social Work. I'm torn because I've already been accepted into the MSW program and would have to wait about 6 months to get into a graduate psych program that's more than $10k more expensive than the MSW program. On one hand, I wonder if I'm simply mistaken about the Social Work discipline and judging it wrong. On the other, I wonder if I'd be making a mistake by getting my MSW versus a Psych degree. I know that an MSW program is more marketable and offers greater job security, but I want to make sure my values align with my field of study. My questions: Do you think that my values and beliefs are too different from the Social Work values and philosophy? Am I better off just waiting to apply to a Psychology program instead? Am I overthinking things? Should I go the MSW route and just make my practice what I want it to be (Positive Psychology approach)? Thanks again for your time!

hi guys! I was taking with some friends starting their masters programs at other universities and they were discussing how they all had Facebook groups as support, so I started one for Master of Social Work grad school at FAU regular admission program! Join here!! https://www.facebook.com/groups/624041944614564/

Hello, I'm 30 years old and have been working in human services for the past 9 years; 3 in in-home care, 6 in mental health/suicide prevention. I have reached a point where I need to either get an advanced degree or change fields. I'm very passionate about empowering others and am intrigued by the opportunities that an advanced degree would offer. I was thinking of getting an MSW with the intent to eventually become a LCSW. That said, I've heard every extreme from, "you will never earn anything, get any recognition, and be completely burnt out" to "an LCSW is a great opportunity and the median salary is $65,000; naysayers are thinking of a BSW." Could anyone help me to parce out these variances in opinions? I'm aware of the good, bad, and the ugly of social work in general but not in terms of an advanced degree. I have a heart for both macro and micro social work and am not in it for the money, but I would like to have the ability to one day own a small home, pay basic expenses without sleepless nights, be able to occasionally go out with friends or take a modest vacation, and have an emergency savings. All things that are difficult for me right now. Essentially; to live a very modest middle-class lifestyle. Is this possible? Would I be better to change fields? Is there another degree that would be similar but more suitable for this? (Since I've been working privately for the past 3 years and just moved to a more metropolitan area I feel a bit out of touch in terms of who to ask of my contacts.)

Hi! I am thinking about getting my Master's in Social Work. My heart really isn't in the studying, research papers, being stressed out, time conflicts, etc. I know getting a Masters can help to open up doors, provide you with more income and give you opportunities that a BSW cannot. For those of you who have gotten their Master's, can you give me an idea of how your program was, what your debt is now after attending, if you were able to get a job fairly quickly, if you did it online or on campus, etc. Any information that you can provide would be awesome! When you went to apply for Grad School were you excited to start school again and learn more about social work, or were you kind of dreading it but realized this is something you want/need for your career? Have you thought about going into other fields? Or were you 100% on social work? How long have you been in the field? How are you using your Master's....what type of work do you do? Thank you for taking the time to read this and respond. Sincerely, Conflicted

Due to some serious health issues and need for intensive treatment I may need to choose a plan B program for Fall. I'm trying to decide which Terminal Master's option would provide the best career options. I am interested in flexible work hours, research experience, and work in the medical field. My options are: -Master of Science in Clinical Psychology w/ license as Psychological Associate. -Master of Social Work to become a LCSW or LMSW -Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling to become Licensed Professional Counselor While the MSW would allow me to work in the medical field, I'm not all that interested in Social Work as a career. The Clinical Psychology program would allow me to be a researcher as well as potential doctoral study. The Counseling program has the best job options.

I live in Portland, OR, have worked at a community mental health agency for about two years now, and love it. I want to return to get my MSW and eventually become a LCSW. I grew up in Portland but my parents just moved to Oceanside, CA. I am 25. As I see it, I have two options: 1. Stay in Portland, work full time (at least attempt to) at my current job while doing the PSU program. Pros Already have built some connections in hospitals from current job, will make it easier for my internship I can work at my job after my MSW with guaranteed supervision to get to my LCSW Have a couple local friends Cons Paying for rent while going to school and working...sounds like a lot of debt uncertainty around field placement too. PSU would require me to work in a different area of the agency for my field placement and that could mean less pay while I still need to make same $$ for rent. distance from family and commitment to at least 3 years of stay (until licensed) weather is bad typically 2. Move to Oceanside, live with parents, go to SDSU Pros Free rent and food Beach Opportunity to get out of my niche Cons unfamiliar area- meeting new people can be hard at first California cost of living Unsure how difficult it would be to get internship at a clinic with high # of client hours in Southern California cost- out of state tuition is $372 per unit, SDSU site says its $6,696 for 2 semesters. I'm confused as to if there's 9 units or more per term because there's 5 classes the first term. While I must make the decision, I am hoping to get some feedback from others- have you heard good/bad things about either school? Cities? Cost of living? Has anyone done PSU program while working full time? Can you be paid for your field placement? For SDSU, how many units are in a term? Accoeding to to my math, PSU and SDSU are adding up to be about to same cost- PSU is about 6k less for the 2 years but favoring in paying for my rent and bills, it evens out. I'm not sure if I'm doing the math correctly because it's surprising that in state tuition is close to out of state for SDSU. Any input is appreciated, thank you!

Hello everyone. I applied for the MSW program at USF. I submitted my application in late November and everything was finalized (LOR's included) in early December. I am wondering if anyone else out there has applied and if they have heard anything yet. I was told they started reviewing apps already. Has anyone applied and not been accepted? Anyone out there in the program or have ever been in it and care to share their opinion? Thanks!