Canadian Masters in Counselling 2020

[springxsummer]

11 hours ago, incognit0 said:

I knowwwww... i'm just being impatient  

Hang  in there

[springxsummer]

Is anyone else nervous about COVID-19 affecting admissions? I don't want to catastrophize, or to sound selfish, but I would be very sad to see my program be moved to be online/ cancelled given all of the work that I've invested into this.

EDIT- I realized there's a separate thread for this. Sorry!

Edited March 12, 2020 by springxsummer

[incognit0]

I had an interview at the university of Western and got accepted. Anyone else here accepted and thinking about accepting?

[Psych3]

1 hour ago, incognit0 said:

I had an interview at the university of Western and got accepted. Anyone else here accepted and thinking about accepting?

Congrats! Did you find out right after your interview?

[incognit0]

51 minutes ago, Psych3 said:

Congrats! Did you find out right after your interview?

I did! Like directly after lol it was pretty nice 

[han.maria]

Congratulations on accepting UofT @willisle. You make a great point that admission decisions are not always set in stone, and that we may end up with results that were different from what we "thought" we had in the bag.

I just accepted my offer to uOttawa for their MA in Counselling Psychology. Very excited but nervous to start this journey! If anyone is on here from the upcoming cohort at uOttawa, I would love to connect.

[Pursuit of happiness]

Hi everyone,

I did not get accepted at UFT this year. However, I would like to connect with those that did get accepted. I would like to know what the course load is like and learn about your overall experience once you start the semester.

Please let me know if you are alright with this.

Thanks so much,

Take care and all the best. 

[mmckenzie]

Has anyone heard from UBC? I am assuming I didnt get in as I have not heard from them yet and they said successful applicants will hear by 'mid march'

[AndrewX]

Has anyone else applied to the M.Ed for counselling at UNB (Fredericton, New Brunswick). My application is still under review. ?

GPA 4.0 

2 years of experience in an educational/interpersonal setting + a decent amount of volunteer experience although it's not as recent. 

[logical_emotion]

Hey everyone. I got accepted into 2 counselling psychology programs, University of Ottawa and McGill. In addition, I applied to Public Health programs and got accepted into two of those as well. I have a passion for counselling, but the options are making me wonder about the relative employment potential for counselling psych compared to public health. I know I'm asking a slightly biased group, but with just a masters degree in counselling, would I have good employment prospects?

[springxsummer]

16 hours ago, logical_emotion said:

Hey everyone. I got accepted into 2 counselling psychology programs, University of Ottawa and McGill. In addition, I applied to Public Health programs and got accepted into two of those as well. I have a passion for counselling, but the options are making me wonder about the relative employment potential for counselling psych compared to public health. I know I'm asking a slightly biased group, but with just a masters degree in counselling, would I have good employment prospects?

As a doctoral level registered psychologist, yes. At least in my province (AB) there is very high demand, particularly for PhD level practitioners.

Edited March 29, 2020 by springxsummer

[jejclarke]

On 3/19/2020 at 1:42 PM, han.maria said:

Congratulations on accepting UofT @willisle. You make a great point that admission decisions are not always set in stone, and that we may end up with results that were different from what we "thought" we had in the bag.

I just accepted my offer to uOttawa for their MA in Counselling Psychology. Very excited but nervous to start this journey! If anyone is on here from the upcoming cohort at uOttawa, I would love to connect.

@han.maria, I'll be accepting my offer for uOttawa in the next few days!

 

I was hoping for McGill, and my application still says "In Review", but as they seem to have sent out admissions already I'm assuming I've been rejected.

[18daf]

Hi Everyone!

This is my second time applying to the M.Ed in counselling and psychotherapy at University of Toronto (OISE), and I am still waiting to hear back.

I wanted to ask what people's relevant experience is like for those who have been accepted to the program. I am wondering if my experience is not quite what they are looking for once again.

Thanks for your help and Congrats to those who have gotten accepted! :) 

[incognit0]

Hey everyone - wondering if any of you who've been wait listed at U of Calgary have heard anything? I got a wait list email early February and was told I'd hear back "sometime after March 7th." I checked their graduate site and it states that admissions for 2020 have been finalized so I'm assuming I've been rejected. But still no formal email or any updates.

 

 

[Book.nerd]

Hi everyone. 

This is my first time applying to graduate programs. I applied to M.Ed in Counselling and Psychotherapy at UofT (OISE) and was rejected at the beginning of March, have been waitlisted at Uottawa for M.Ed in Counselling Psychology, still waiting to hear from UOIT for MSc Forensic Psychology and MSc Psychotherapy from McMaster. I found out about the McMaster program in mid-March and I applied the day I found it. 

My backup, which felt like the right choice at the time of applying, was for the Master of Information in Library and Information Science from UofT (iSchool) and I was accepted into that. 

Congrats to everyone who got acceptances!

Edited April 20, 2020 by Book.nerd
Forgot to add MSc before Forensic.

[MSW2020lm]

On 4/19/2020 at 7:50 PM, Book.nerd said:

Hi everyone. 

This is my first time applying to graduate programs. I applied to M.Ed in Counselling and Psychotherapy at UofT (OISE) and was rejected at the beginning of March, have been waitlisted at Uottawa for M.Ed in Counselling Psychology, still waiting to hear from UOIT for MSc Forensic Psychology and MSc Psychotherapy from McMaster. I found out about the McMaster program in mid-March and I applied the day I found it. 

My backup, which felt like the right choice at the time of applying, was for the Master of Information in Library and Information Science from UofT (iSchool) and I was accepted into that. 

Congrats to everyone who got acceptances!

Hey! I didn't know about the McMaster program either! I wonder if the program fits regulations under CRPO?

[wasabigirl]

On 3/28/2020 at 10:15 PM, logical_emotion said:

Hey everyone. I got accepted into 2 counselling psychology programs, University of Ottawa and McGill. In addition, I applied to Public Health programs and got accepted into two of those as well. I have a passion for counselling, but the options are making me wonder about the relative employment potential for counselling psych compared to public health. I know I'm asking a slightly biased group, but with just a masters degree in counselling, would I have good employment prospects?

A PhD in Clinical Psychology has good career prospect because a lot of assessment is reserved for PhD level clinicians. However, a MEd or MA in Counselling Psychology is not that easy to find a full-time permanent job for the following reasons:     (from my observations working in the field plus my other therapists friends' observation in Canada)

1. High Competition

You are competing with other master level graduates who have a degree in Social Work, Nursing and Occupational Therapy. All these professions (plus MD physicians and psychologists) can practice psychotherapy. A lot of registered social workers practice psychotherapy, and they work for hospitals, community health centres, non-profit organizations...etc. Many social workers also have their own private practice. Many of them are successful therapists. 

In fact, most secured psychotherapy jobs are in the hospitals where they 90% take only social workers. They don't really take people with a degree in counselling...only with a few exceptions. 

--> In short, Social Workers seem to have a bigger competitive edge when it comes to the job market  counselling. 

2. Low numbers of positions

Most psychotherapy jobs in the job market are in contracts. And also not many numbers of job if you compare to other field.  

You never know if your contact will be renewed. Most counselling graduates go to private practice or find alternate jobs such as working as a mental health worker or CAS worker. Going to private practice can be an option. A lot of therapists start from there. 

3. Maybe some new hope

With the new psychotherapy College (CRPO), I think the job hunting for counselling new graduates is getting a bit easier. But there is still long way to go. 

I got a MA in Counselling Psychology when I was 24 years old. I had very difficult time to find a job in the beginning. Most of my classmates also had a hard time to find a job when they first graduate. I think the first 1-3 years is the most difficult. After working 3 to 5 years, you will find yourself easier to get a position. It's just bad that a lot of good positions in hospitals only accept Master of Social Work. Most non-profit organizations pay their therapists pretty low. Contract jobs become a norm that people have no job security, no health benefit, no pension. It's sad. But it's not just psychology. Many professions become like this. 

I was very lucky that I found a full-time permanent job in the hospital when I was 25 after working for 1 year in a non-profit . The hospital job paid me not bad and plus good health benefits and HOOP pension. That pension is the best part. But I still decided to go back to PhD in Clinical Psychology after working for the hospital for few years since I love research. Most of my classmates from my Counselling program didn't really secure a full-time permanent job in the first few years. I know a few experienced therapists who have successful private practice. Nevertheless, it's a business and there is always a risk.  

 

Edited April 26, 2020 by wasabigirl

[willisle]

On 4/26/2020 at 12:48 AM, wasabigirl said:

A PhD in Clinical Psychology has good career prospect because a lot of assessment is reserved for PhD level clinicians. However, a MEd or MA in Counselling Psychology is not that easy to find a full-time permanent job for the following reasons:     (from my observations working in the field plus my other therapists friends' observation in Canada)

1. High Competition

You are competing with other master level graduates who have a degree in Social Work, Nursing and Occupational Therapy. All these professions (plus MD physicians and psychologists) can practice psychotherapy. A lot of registered social workers practice psychotherapy, and they work for hospitals, community health centres, non-profit organizations...etc. Many social workers also have their own private practice. Many of them are successful therapists. 

In fact, most secured psychotherapy jobs are in the hospitals where they 90% take only social workers. They don't really take people with a degree in counselling...only with a few exceptions. 

--> In short, Social Workers seem to have a bigger competitive edge when it comes to the job market  counselling. 

2. Low numbers of positions

Most psychotherapy jobs in the job market are in contracts. And also not many numbers of job if you compare to other field.  

You never know if your contact will be renewed. Most counselling graduates go to private practice or find alternate jobs such as working as a mental health worker or CAS worker. Going to private practice can be an option. A lot of therapists start from there. 

3. Maybe some new hope

With the new psychotherapy College (CRPO), I think the job hunting for counselling new graduates is getting a bit easier. But there is still long way to go. 

I got a MA in Counselling Psychology when I was 24 years old. I had very difficult time to find a job in the beginning. Most of my classmates also had a hard time to find a job when they first graduate. I think the first 1-3 years is the most difficult. After working 3 to 5 years, you will find yourself easier to get a position. It's just bad that a lot of good positions in hospitals only accept Master of Social Work. Most non-profit organizations pay their therapists pretty low. Contract jobs become a norm that people have no job security, no health benefit, no pension. It's sad. But it's not just psychology. Many professions become like this. 

I was very lucky that I found a full-time permanent job in the hospital when I was 25 after working for 1 year in a non-profit . The hospital job paid me not bad and plus good health benefits and HOOP pension. That pension is the best part. But I still decided to go back to PhD in Clinical Psychology after working for the hospital for few years since I love research. Most of my classmates from my Counselling program didn't really secure a full-time permanent job in the first few years. I know a few experienced therapists who have successful private practice. Nevertheless, it's a business and there is always a risk.  

 

Wow, thank you so much for taking the time to write all that out. I have a few questions/comments for you, based off what you have written:

1) From my understanding, you have a master's in counselling. When you decided to go back for a PhD in clinical, did you have to start from square 1 (as in apply for the master's in clinical that leads to a PhD)

2) I think you are are right about the college providing. bit of a shift in jobs through regulation. That's actually something I wrote about in my applications. It does seem like Canada is moving towards better mental health coverage. In BC, many basic healthcare plans cove 80% of counselling costs up to 500$ for personal counselling, which is a huge help for counsellors in private practice as well as incentive for organizations to hire.

I'd love to know more about why you decided to go into clinical after working in counselling as that's something I was weighing a lot as well. I also have a fair amount of research experience.

[wasabigirl]

7 hours ago, willisle said:

Wow, thank you so much for taking the time to write all that out. I have a few questions/comments for you, based off what you have written:

1) From my understanding, you have a master's in counselling. When you decided to go back for a PhD in clinical, did you have to start from square 1 (as in apply for the master's in clinical that leads to a PhD)

2) I think you are are right about the college providing. bit of a shift in jobs through regulation. That's actually something I wrote about in my applications. It does seem like Canada is moving towards better mental health coverage. In BC, many basic healthcare plans cove 80% of counselling costs up to 500$ for personal counselling, which is a huge help for counsellors in private practice as well as incentive for organizations to hire.

I'd love to know more about why you decided to go into clinical after working in counselling as that's something I was weighing a lot as well. I also have a fair amount of research experience.

1. It depends on the program. Some universities do not care if you go straight to PhD from a bachelor degree. Some universities MA and PhD are combined, so after you do your MA, you don't have to apply for PhD. You will automatically go to PhD after finishing your MA. Some programs want people who have an MA to go to PhD. In my case, I just go straight to PhD, and about half of my classmates only have a bachelor degree since my program do admit people directly from undergraduate degree.

2) You may want to check which province/regulations...etc. I know in some province, most employers' health plan only cover the therapy if the therapists are registered social worker or psychologists. (I heard people told me, but I am not quite sure. you may need to check with other people).

I was working for a CBT program in the hospital. After a while, I feel that I want to improve myself, so I applied. Didn't think I would get an offer, but I did. It's a good program. If you are interested in research and assessment, PhD is great. But if you just want to do therapy, a master of social work is the best to find a therapy job. You don't need to spend 5-6 years to get a PhD to work as a therapist. Master degree can open a lot of doors to work as a therapist.

Edited April 28, 2020 by wasabigirl

[Chebben]

Not sure if it's best to start a separate thread about this, but could anyone provide information on salary ranges (early-mid-late career) for someone with a master's in counseling? For instance if you were to work conducting psychotherapy in a hospital vs private practice?

Any past graduates who can speak from their own experiences?

Thanks in advance!

[dem13]

Has anyone here applied for Athabasca's Master of Counselling programming?  Still waiting to hear back and orientation starts next month. ?

[Psych?]

Has anyone heard anything about how the Western Counselling program will be proceeding in September with the COVID situation? 

[willisle]

On 4/29/2020 at 12:01 PM, Chebben said:

Not sure if it's best to start a separate thread about this, but could anyone provide information on salary ranges (early-mid-late career) for someone with a master's in counseling? For instance if you were to work conducting psychotherapy in a hospital vs private practice?

Any past graduates who can speak from their own experiences?

Thanks in advance!

Would love to see this thread.. link it if you start one!

[MSW2020lm]

Is anyone who is applying to the Masters of Counselling hoping to register within the CRPO? I reached out the CRPO to see if the program was accepted and they said that some registrants have completed that program but they have a background in psych? I was a bit confused and asked for clarification. 

[ScorpioDragon]

Hi Everyone, 

Do any of you considering to get into or have any previous experience/knowledge of the Adler Master of Psychology program?