Community Psychology Phd vs. Clinical-Community PhD

[ririannie]

Hi, so I'm taking a year off to get some work/research experience, do my GRE and just take a break in general before applying to grad school. Is anyone in a Community Psych program or Clinical-Community Psych grad program that is APA certified? I'd like to know because factoring in my location preferences I have so few choices of schools and I really feel destined to do Community Psych because of the interdisciplinary and problem solving focus. However, I would like to be able to do therapy and treatment as well. I'm so confused! I'm not 100% that Community Psychologists can treat because I get different information and some programs are much more research heavy so it's unlikely that they see patients. Anyone have suggestions? Schools I should check out with a more interdisciplinary format including anthropology, sociology or international development with psychology? Is just Community Psych far-fetched job wise? Advice please!! & Thanks!

[juilletmercredi]

Are your location preferences based on family concerns (caring for elderly parents or children)?  Because if they aren't, you should really consider loosening them up a bit.  A PhD program is only 5-6 years, and while you don't want to be miserable in your university's city it's far more important that you find a program that suits your needs.  That's important for finding jobs later on.

 

My adviser is a community psychologist; he was trained at NYU, back when they had a community psych program. (He's not a clinician, though).  I also have a few friends in clinical-community programs.  You cannot see patients in a community psychology-only program, but you can if you do clinical-community.

 

The University of Michigan has a psychology and social work PhD program - you'd get an MSW (which will allow you to do counseling).  Vanderbilt also has a PhD in Community Research and Action, but it doesn't have a clinical component.

[ririannie]

Thank you so much for your input! I know I should loosen up but I moved for undergrad without thinking and I hated my location so much I didn't want to be unhappy in a place again. The social work-community might be something to think about, honestly I don't think I could make it in Michigan but that University literally has the best psych programs. I really want to also be a clinician and able to counsel so I guess straightforward community might not be the best bet. Btw what exactly does your adviser do now with his community psych degree?

Are your location preferences based on family concerns (caring for elderly parents or children)?  Because if they aren't, you should really consider loosening them up a bit.  A PhD program is only 5-6 years, and while you don't want to be miserable in your university's city it's far more important that you find a program that suits your needs.  That's important for finding jobs later on.

 

My adviser is a community psychologist; he was trained at NYU, back when they had a community psych program. (He's not a clinician, though).  I also have a few friends in clinical-community programs.  You cannot see patients in a community psychology-only program, but you can if you do clinical-community.

 

The University of Michigan has a psychology and social work PhD program - you'd get an MSW (which will allow you to do counseling).  Vanderbilt also has a PhD in Community Research and Action, but it doesn't have a clinical component.

[QASP]

Unfortunately, being location limited makes a lot less sense for graduate school than for undergrad. There are so few programs that will actually share your interests and make a good fit, it simply doesn't make sense to limit yourself in this way. I'm not saying go somewhere you know you'll be miserable, I've been to some college towns myself and said "nope nope nope," but if this is your view of the locations of most schools then you're both not giving those locations a fair shake and not giving yourself the best shot at success. For example, why don't you think you could make it in Michigan? It's a large and diverse state, and people often have extremely inaccurate impressions. Ann Arbor has a climate similar to Boston (winter is actually shorter, though Ann Arbor gets more snow), is an extremely left-wing town with a long history of political activism and a diverse population (especially when next-door Ypsilanti is considered), and has an abundance of things to do in the town itself as well as all of Detroit's attractions less than an hour away. Anyway, hem.

 

The other program that comes to mind is the combined clinical/community program at the University of South Carolina, which I think of as quite strong, but still just because the broader program label matches your interest that doesn't mean the individual professors there will be a great fit. Boston College's counseling psych program also has some community-oriented values, but is not a "community psychology" program by name. I think a counseling psychology program in general might be a good match for those people who have broader, community-focused interests, but still want the ability  to practice. However, many of those will not allow you the depth in community psychology you'd get from a truly "combined" program, I suppose.

[psych21]

Counseling psych programs typically have a strong social justice component and allow you to practice, which sounds like what you are wanting. The Univ of Tennessee even has a social justice/advocacy track in their counseling psych program.