Counselling Psychology Canadian Application Forum Fall 2023

[Counsellinggirl]

57 minutes ago, ManukaHoney said:

Oh my, so sorry to hear about this. I can’t image how discourgaged you are feeling. Did you apply this year and also you got rejected?

 

I know it’s so difficult and sometimes feel unfair as you see others get accepted who may not have as much experience. 

Thank you so much for the support. Yes I applied again for this fall but got rejected again. It is so disheartening!

[Counsellinggirl]

45 minutes ago, psychowannabee said:

I would highly suggest getting your application materials (CV, Statements, Transcripts) looked over by current grad students or other applicants who have been recently successful. Not to say this is your case but I have encountered a lot of people who said they have xyz amount of years of both research and volunteer experience then when they show me their CV, the experiences they have is not something that is what these programs are actually looking for or that their research experiences are only doing surface level type of work and not too much depth. 

Wow! Thank you so much for the advice I’ll try and find people who have been admitted to get my stuff reviewed. 

[Counsellinggirl]

31 minutes ago, psyc1818 said:

Agreed with this. From what I've heard, it sounds like real helping experience is crucial (even more so than grades) to be successfully admitted. Not only listing out experience on your resume, but going into depth in your personal statement about how you have been shaped by these experiences and what they have taught you.

This is my second year applying and I can admit that last year, I made the mistake of failing to properly reflect on my professional experiences, relating them directly to the program, and to the field as a whole. After making these changes I'm happy to say I've been admitted to one program so far, and interviewed for a program I was waitlisted for last year. 

It takes time, and effort, and lots of confidence in yourself. You got this, @Counsellinggirl

Thank you so much for the advice! That is exactly what I wrote in my letter of intent but maybe I am not what they are looking for. My only other option is Yorkville, but I can’t even afford it go there. Plus I don’t know if it’s worth it for me to get debt because of a two year program. 

[alexastudent]

2 hours ago, Counsellinggirl said:

I am feeling extremely discouraged! This is the fourth year I am applying to a counselling program. The first time I got rejected, I had so much experience yet my grades in undergrad were around a B+ so officially I did not get admitted. Four years later,I finished a Masters of Edu with stellar grades. I have over 6 years of experience in the counseling field AND I still got rejected. Are they looking for unicorns? At this point it seems like they are seeking students who published in 10 000 journals, have four PHD’s and have 20 years of experience. I know I shouldn’t take it personally but it is extremely disheartening. They tell me to get better grades, I get better grades. They tell me to get experience I have over 6 years of volunteering and academic experience in the field. My reference letters are even from two professors of the faculty… I am completely shattered and I am starting to think it’s personal. I know I shouldn’t but at this point I don’t know what else I can do. I am completely shattered and feeling extremely lost. 
 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

What school(s) did you apply to? I definitely agree with the grad student looking it over. I also agree that some expectations seem so insane! I found it helpful to talk to students who were in the program as some schools weigh things such as research experience heavier than experience in a caring profession. 

[psyc1818]

26 minutes ago, Counsellinggirl said:

Thank you so much for the advice! That is exactly what I wrote in my letter of intent but maybe I am not what they are looking for. My only other option is Yorkville, but I can’t even afford it go there. Plus I don’t know if it’s worth it for me to get debt because of a two year program. 

It's totally valid that you're discouraged, this whole process can be incredibly daunting, especially more than once. Just remember that your ability and worth isn't determined by grad programs. Wishing you the best of luck!

Edited February 16, 2023 by psyc1818

[psychowannabee]

20 minutes ago, alexastudent said:

What school(s) did you apply to? I definitely agree with the grad student looking it over. I also agree that some expectations seem so insane! I found it helpful to talk to students who were in the program as some schools weigh things such as research experience heavier than experience in a caring profession. 

This is definitely true. For example, I have a very research background and only 2 helping related experience (Peer support, Clinical field placement). I think my heavy research background + high GPA made up for my lack of volunteer experience.

 

I only applied and interview this cycle at 1 counselling school (Calgary), and the rest were clinical schools. Calgary for example is very social-justice based so if you did not convey any signs of social justice in your statement, they would have likely screened you out.

[WickedWorld91]

3 hours ago, Counsellinggirl said:

I am feeling extremely discouraged! This is the fourth year I am applying to a counselling program. The first time I got rejected, I had so much experience yet my grades in undergrad were around a B+ so officially I did not get admitted. Four years later,I finished a Masters of Edu with stellar grades. I have over 6 years of experience in the counseling field AND I still got rejected. Are they looking for unicorns? At this point it seems like they are seeking students who published in 10 000 journals, have four PHD’s and have 20 years of experience. I know I shouldn’t take it personally but it is extremely disheartening. They tell me to get better grades, I get better grades. They tell me to get experience I have over 6 years of volunteering and academic experience in the field. My reference letters are even from two professors of the faculty… I am completely shattered and I am starting to think it’s personal. I know I shouldn’t but at this point I don’t know what else I can do. I am completely shattered and feeling extremely lost. 
 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I think you already got plenty of good advice from others. The biggest thing I would echo is tailoring the application to fit the values of the program and having graduate students or a faculty member from that program review your letter of intent and CV. I would also suggest not restricting yourself geographically. It's not uncommon for people to apply to up to 10 programs, sometimes more (as long as your references are willing). But I get that moving around isn't always practical for many people, especially those of us who are a bit older and more settled.

Anyway, the real reason I am responding is to tell you that you are not alone. I am on my fourth year of applications of applying to clinical and counselling programs. I was misinformed when I was in undergrad and told I would have no problem getting into counselling but that clinical was ultra competitive. It turns out both are ultra competitive. I've had four clinical interviews between this year's cycle and last, and never heard back from any counselling programs I've applied to. Admittedly my CV is very clinically oriented, so some of that makes sense. I am literally almost to the point where if it doesn't work out this year, then I am going to apply aggressively for one more year, and if that doesn't work out, I am going to have to make some tough decisions about my career and potentially take a different route. And I refuse to go into a ridiculous amount of debt to pay to go to one of the online programs that essentially have no admission criteria and that are not well recognized after I went back to undergrad in my mid-20s to re-do my education to be a competitive applicant. I am in my early 30s and I am not sure how much longer me and my fiancee (who is well into her career) can deal with this state of limbo

Whatever the case, this process is excruciating. The important thing is to approach this with a self-compassionate mindset and to always try to do whatever you can to improve your CV and application. The harsh reality is that the system for clinical and counselling psychology programs is broken in many ways. People want to believe that the system works and that if they do x, y, and z that they should be able to get in. And then for those who do manage to get in there's a sort of attribution bias that happens where they say I got in because of x, y, and z. Don't get me wrong, everyone who manages to get in absolutely worked their butt off and deserve it, but there's also a degree of measurement error and luck involved in the process. My boss is a clinical professor and has gave me many helpful suggestions in improving my application, but also admitted that there is luck involved, which is not an easy thing to hear when you're trying to do all of the right things. When I was in undergrad doing my honours, a grad student who was just finishing their PhD in clinical gave a presentation on applying to clinical and referred to it as a "lottery pick" and spent 10 or 15 minutes talking about how it can be healthy sometimes to disengage from the goal of pursuing clinical lol...It appears that counselling is not far behind in this regard.

As you can tell, I am also very jaded by the process lol. And I'm not encouraging a pessimistic / woe is me sort of mindset, I just think it's okay to acknowledge that the system is broken. The country is desperate for well-trained counsellors and psychologists but these programs don't even come close to having the necessary capacities to support the demand. There is no good reason for these programs to be as or more competitive than the top Med Schools in the country.

That being said, try and stay positive, be self-compassionate (don't let this influence your self worth), and do what you can to improve your application. I believe that if it's really what you want, you'll find a way to make it happen, even if you have to take a different path than you initially wanted to get there. 

[psychgal23]

Has anyone heard from UOttawa MEd Counselling, course based? I saw a post earlier that said acceptances come out mid-march, but has anyone been rejected yet? 

Good luck to everyone applying this cycle!!

I am a second-cycle applicant, last year I applied to clinical programs without an honours thesis and I got shunned for it lol, all rejections. This year I just applied to counselling at UOttawa, but I havr a ton of experience! Hopefully I get in, but if I don't I'll try again for clinical and counselling programs in 2024

[SACP786]

2 hours ago, psychgal23 said:

Has anyone heard from UOttawa MEd Counselling, course based? I saw a post earlier that said acceptances come out mid-march, but has anyone been rejected yet? 

Good luck to everyone applying this cycle!!

I am a second-cycle applicant, last year I applied to clinical programs without an honours thesis and I got shunned for it lol, all rejections. This year I just applied to counselling at UOttawa, but I havr a ton of experience! Hopefully I get in, but if I don't I'll try again for clinical and counselling programs in 2024

No decisions have gone out yet (they usually get released around the same time). Last year decisions went out end of February all at once but the department told me mid-March.

If you don't get in this cycle, I would also recommend applying to School Psychology programs if you're interested in working with kids. It's equally competitive but gives you more options in terms of schools to apply to.

Edited February 17, 2023 by SACP786

[johnnyp.2]

Hi all, I was wondering if it makes a difference (in relation to job prospects post grad and income) if I attend a public (ex. UBC, U of C, or U of T) university as opposed to a private one (ex. Adler, Yorkville). Im curious as I want to get a start on my career but I'm not feeling too hopeful about my public university prospects. Thanks!

[SACP786]

Just now, johnnyp.2 said:

Hi all, I was wondering if it makes a difference (in relation to job prospects post grad and income) if I attend a public (ex. UBC, U of C, or U of T) university as opposed to a private one (ex. Adler, Yorkville). Im curious as I want to get a start on my career but I'm not feeling too hopeful about my public university prospects. Thanks!

To answer your question, no. However, it depends what your goals are post-graduation. If you're only interested in clinical work, private is a fine option (but keep in mind you might need additional courses post-graduation to meet your province's licensing requirements). If you wanted to work within academia or at a research hospital, I wouldn't recommend private.

 

I personally don't think the quality of education you get at these private schools warrants the high tuition price, but I see the appeal. There are a ton of great terminal, course-based counselling psych programs so I would only consider private as a last resort.

[WickedWorld91]

1 hour ago, johnnyp.2 said:

Hi all, I was wondering if it makes a difference (in relation to job prospects post grad and income) if I attend a public (ex. UBC, U of C, or U of T) university as opposed to a private one (ex. Adler, Yorkville). Im curious as I want to get a start on my career but I'm not feeling too hopeful about my public university prospects. Thanks!

As the other response suggested, it depends what your career goals are. If you want to practice, those online private institutions are a means to an end. Whether you want to work in academia or in research isn't really dependent on whether the school is private but more so on whether the training model is scholar-practitioner (course-based) or scientist-practitioner (thesis- or dissertation-based). It just so happens that the private universities in Canada are scholar-practitioner, but there's schools in the states that are private that are research intensive.

As I said, it is a means to an end if you want to practice. You'll likely be slightly less competitive, but in the end should not have that much trouble finding work. I spoke with a person who did Yorkville and she said many from program had trouble finding practicums, and some clinics/organizations may be less likely to hire you, but from what I can tell it doesn't seem to be too big of an issue getting employed over all.

I think the big catch is the cost of tuition. You could go to UBC, live in Vancouver for 2 years, and still pay the same amount of money you would for tuition alone from these private online programs, and they provide very little resources. A red flag for me is the fact that you have to find your own supervised practicum. Most programs that are a fraction of the cost provide you with practicums in clinics and hospitals with PhD supervisors who supervisor students for a living and are held to certain standards of practice. With these online programs (well, Yorkville at least, not sure about Adler), they allow you to pretty much find whoever to supervise you as long as their certified / registered in the field.

Again, I think the cost is the big catch. If you have the money or don't mind going into that level of debt for a Masters then it might be a more attractive option. I also think it's more much financially beneficial in Alberta where you can become a psychologist with a Masters. My partner went to a provisional psychologist who had a degree from Yorkville and she was pretty good for the most part. However, I think the reason she was good is because she works at a large clinic with many PhD level Psychologists, so she has colleagues that can provide her with advice/resources and got lots of great supervision from them after finishing at Yorkville. On the other hand, I know someone who went to Yorkville and immediately opened up a private practice on her own with zero experience in the field. Definitely disagree with that, but it happens. 

The only other thing I'll add is, depending on your age and how many times you've applied, don't get caught up in the Rat Race of life and academia. It's normal for people to apply multiple times, and you can get lots of great experience working in related fields to improve you CV and apply again to programs that cost way less and provide better education and training (more resources overall). I get the feeling of wanting to start your career, but I think working in the field, whether that be a helping role or research, can help give you a better idea of the direction you want to take. 

Also, if you're primarily focused on practicing in a counselling type role, clinically oriented Social Work programs will allow you to be a counsellor in most provinces I believe. 

 

[Aspiringpsychotherapist]

Hi guys! I was wondering, for those of you who got interviews for Mac Psychotherapy, does anyone have an interview later than Feb. 17? Looking at last year's forum it seems all the interviews (for first round at least) were completed within a week from the 14-18, so I was wondering if it's the same this year. I had mine on the 15th, good luck to us all!

[psychapp20223]

On 2/17/2023 at 4:34 PM, SACP786 said:

There are a ton of great terminal, course-based counselling psych programs so I would only consider private as a last resort.

Where? I found there werent many in Canada

Thanks!

[SACP786]

19 minutes ago, psychapp20223 said:

Where? I found there werent many in Canada

Thanks!

I'm from Ontario so I can't speak to other provinces, but off the top of my head:

• McMaster: Psychotherapy MA
• uOttawa: Counselling Psychology MA/MEd
• UoT: Counselling & Psychotherapy MEd
• Guelph: Family/Couples Counselling MSc
• Western: Counselling Psychology MA

If you graduate from these programs you can become registered counsellor/psychotherapist in Ontario. I know Alberta has a lot of great programs too but I don't know if they are recognized in other provinces.

[alexastudent]

I received an email today that I was waitlisted for UA course based. Mixed feelings as I’m not sure how many are on the waitlist / position but better than nothing! 

[Lmwstudent]

24 minutes ago, alexastudent said:

I received an email today that I was waitlisted for UA course based. Mixed feelings as I’m not sure how many are on the waitlist / position but better than nothing! 

Congrats on making the waitlist! I feel like we have to celebrate all wins when and where we can during this process. Would you be comfortable with sharing your stats? I also applied to UA and was curious what the stats from a person who has been waitlisted may look like. Still waiting to hear back from them…

[psychowannabee]

56 minutes ago, alexastudent said:

I received an email today that I was waitlisted for UA course based. Mixed feelings as I’m not sure how many are on the waitlist / position but better than nothing! 

Last year, someone who wast 12th on the waitlist got in. The course base definitely have movements. I would email Marsha and ask for your position on the list, they're very transparent and willing to tell you your position.

[alexastudent]

21 minutes ago, psychowannabee said:

Last year, someone who wast 12th on the waitlist got in. The course base definitely have movements. I would email Marsha and ask for your position on the list, they're very transparent and willing to tell you your position.

Oh this is very encouraging thank you! I reached out to them to inquire as well. 

[ManukaHoney]

Has anyone here completed their Mcmaster interview? If so, how did it go! Im getting so antsy about the results. 

[Aspiringpsychotherapist]

6 hours ago, ManukaHoney said:

Has anyone here completed their Mcmaster interview? If so, how did it go! Im getting so antsy about the results. 

I have! I thought it went well but as time goes on I'm overthinking more and more haha. How did yours go?

[sara_2024]

Did anyone apply to SFU counselling? Has anyone heard anything back from them?  

[clinicalneuro]

Anyone who has been accepted to Lethbridge, could you let me know if you don't plan on attending? Sitting very anxiously on the waitlist!

[gradgirl30]

How annoying would it be to send Marsha for UA counselling an email asking when I should expect results?

Edited February 22, 2023 by gradgirl30

[ManukaHoney]

16 hours ago, Aspiringpsychotherapist said:

I have! I thought it went well but as time goes on I'm overthinking more and more haha. How did yours go?

Omg Same here!! I stumbled on 1 question and I keep overthinking my answers. Did they tell you when results will be out?