Question about Clinical Psychology - HELP!

[Zanela123]

Hey everyone,

 

New here, but really appreciate that this forum exists! 

 

Anyways, I want to apply for clinical psychology but I know how competitive it is to get in. I'm just wondering, can I take a psychology masters program other than clinical (say, health or social psychology), and then proceed to apply for a phD in clinical psychology? Also, if I do a masters degree in a particular area (i.e health psychology), would that confine me to just attaining jobs in health psychology field?

 

In addition, I'm confused what the difference is between a registered psychologist and a clinical psychologist since a registered psychologists can assess, diagnose, and treat mental disorders too?

 

And if any of you can suggest programs in psychology I can go into that relates to dealing with mental health disorders, diagnosing, has more clinical emphasis…etc. i would appreciate it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Applemiu]

Anyways, I want to apply for clinical psychology but I know how competitive it is to get in. I'm just wondering, can I take a psychology masters program other than clinical (say, health or social psychology), and then proceed to apply for a phD in clinical psychology? 
 
You surely can, but make sure you get some clinical experience, and explain well your reasons to get into clinical psychology.
 
Also, if I do a masters degree in a particular area (i.e health psychology), would that confine me to just attaining jobs in health psychology field?
 
No.
 
In addition, I'm confused what the difference is between a registered psychologist and a clinical psychologist since a registered psychologists can assess, diagnose, and treat mental disorders too?

 

I guess it simply means that when a clinical psychologist gets registered, he/she becomes a registered psychologist and has license to practice.

 

And if any of you can suggest programs in psychology I can go into that relates to dealing with mental health disorders, diagnosing, has more clinical emphasis…etc. i would appreciate it!

 

Master in Social Work, for example, but there are others.

[when]

To add to the above post, you could also consider a PsyD program. They are a little bit easier to get into, apparently, and are more clinically focused as opposed to research focused.

 

I'm not sure whether there is something comparable in the US, but in Canada you can be licensed as Psychological Associate with just an MA, and that (currently) gives you all the same "powers" as a clinical psychologist.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide. I absolutely appreciate that all of this is very confusing. It was for me too.

[Rose Tyler]

I agree that it's possible to go from a masters program to a doctoral one, but choose wisely. I was going to apply to a general psychology masters (because the description said that it was ideal for students with an intent to pursue doctoral education), but the program coordinator told me to apply to the clinical masters instead. Though there are other schools where I'm applying to general masters. 

 

I second that you might want to consider PsyDs, though be aware of the differences. I think they also have a tendency to be more expensive, but I'm not sure. As Delta mentioned, in some states it's possible to become a Licensed Psychological Associate with a masters degree. 

[juilletmercredi]

PsyDs do have the tendency to be more expensive.  Most PhD programs in clinical psychology offer you funding - so at least a partial tuition waiver/coverage and health insurance and then a payment of a monthly stipend.  Most of the top programs give you full funding, which is coverage of all your tuition and fees, health insurance, and a stipend that is large enough to live upon (frugally).  PsyD programs, as professional programs, do not offer that kind of funding and expect you to cover the entire program in loans, our out of personal funds.

 

There are three kinds of subfields that will allow you to do clinical practice within psychology: clinical psychology, counseling psychology and school psychology.  Clinical and counseling are similar - there are subtle differences, of course, but being licensed as either will allow you to practice therapy independently.  Counseling psychology is perceived as slightly less competitive than clinical.  School psychology will allow you to do therapy - but, as you can imagine, with children in schools.  (Also a lot of school psychologists spend the majority of their days working with special education students developing individualized education plans).

 

Unless your undergrad GPA is really low, or you have zero background in psychology bc you didn't major in it in undergrad, you don't need an MA in psychology.  You would probably be better served by getting research experience for 2-3 years, and maybe taking some classes as a non-degree student (on the grad level).

 

A registered psychologist is simply a clinical, counseling, or school psychologist who has registered with their state board before or during licensure.  In California, a registered psychologist is a PhD-trained clinical or counseling psychologist who is granted a special 30-month credential to allow them to practice while they accrue the hours necessary to become licensed as a clinician.

 

I also suggest social work, and becoming a licensed clinical social worker.  Another option in some states is the master's in mental health counseling, which will allow you to see clients and get licensed.  An MA in clinical psychology will generally NOT allow you to get licensed to practice.  Nor will the MA in health psychology, if one even exists.

[nugget]

Anyways, I want to apply for clinical psychology but I know how competitive it is to get in. I'm just wondering, can I take a psychology masters program other than clinical (say, health or social psychology), and then proceed to apply for a phD in clinical psychology?

 

Speaking from a Canadian perspective....You can apply to a Clinical Psych PhD program with an MA in another area of psychology (such as an experimental program), but you will need to take clinical master's courses as part of your program to catch up on the missing coursework and your schedule will be very different from most people in your cohort. So yes, it is possible. However, this path is typically more difficult to embark on. If you apply to MA Clinical programs, many schools will take somewhere between 5-10 students (most closer to the lower end of this range). Nearly all MA students will stay on at the same school to complete their PhDs (it's expected that students will stay on to complete their psych PhDs in Canada, in fact - not the same in the US, though, which requires you to apply to schools all over again for the PhD and it's a very competitive process).

 

On occasion, some students do as you have suggested and apply to Clinical PhD programs with a non-clinical MA. Something to keep in mind is that at the PhD level, most programs accept a very limited number of new students: typically one outstanding applicant into the PhD program. Whereas if you had applied at the masters level, at least 5 students would be admitted to the program so your odds would be much greater.

 

(It is my understanding that in Canada, students of psychology do an MA followed by a PhD, and as long as you are in good standing in the MA program then it's highly likely that you will be allowed to continue on to the PhD program, same supervisor, lab, etc. In the US, students are typically accepted into a PhD program after the bachelors which includes a masters and PhD all included in the same program. If a student doesn't have a strong application for whatever reason, some will do a (often unfunded, but not always) masters and apply again to a PhD only program which is typically funded. So when US posters advise you or others to apply to PhD programs and not a Masters when you only have a Bachelors, as far as I know, I believe this cannot be done in Canada, and such advice is based on the American education system).

Edited September 24, 2014 by jenste

[when]

Speaking from a Canadian perspective....You can apply to a Clinical Psych PhD program with an MA in another area of psychology (such as an experimental program), but you will need to take clinical master's courses as part of your program to catch up on the missing coursework and your schedule will be very different from most people in your cohort. So yes, it is possible. However, this path is typically more difficult to embark on. If you apply to MA Clinical programs, many schools will take somewhere between 5-10 students (most closer to the lower end of this range). Nearly all MA students will stay on at the same school to complete their PhDs (it's expected that students will stay on to complete their psych PhDs in Canada, in fact - not the same in the US, though, which requires you to apply to schools all over again for the PhD and it's a very competitive process).

 

On occasion, some students do as you have suggested and apply to Clinical PhD programs with a non-clinical MA. Something to keep in mind is that at the PhD level, most programs accept a very limited number of new students: typically one outstanding applicant into the PhD program. Whereas if you had applied at the masters level, at least 5 students would be admitted to the program so your odds would be much greater.

 

(It is my understanding that in Canada, students of psychology do an MA followed by a PhD, and as long as you are in good standing in the MA program then it's highly likely that you will be allowed to continue on to the PhD program, same supervisor, lab, etc. In the US, students are typically accepted into a PhD program after the bachelors which includes a masters and PhD all included in the same program. If a student doesn't have a strong application for whatever reason, some will do a (often unfunded, but not always) masters and apply again to a PhD only program which is typically funded. So when US posters advise you or others to apply to PhD programs and not a Masters when you only have a Bachelors, as far as I know, I believe this cannot be done in Canada, and such advice is based on the American education system).

 

Jenste is exactly right - in Canada almost all programs you apply to are MA/PhD programs, meaning the first two years of study are for completing the MA, and the remaining years are for completing the PhD portion (as long as all MA requirements are met). There are very few terminal MA programs.

 

Again, if you simply want to do clinical work like a psychologist does and are looking for other routes, Counselling Psychology MAs (slightly less competitive but also less numerous) often also prepare you for accreditation as a Psychological Associate (e.g. see U of T's website at OISE). You do all the same arduous tests that are required for accreditation by the CPA and still do internship (I believe), except you can do this with just an MA. A friend of mine who's a clinical psychologist said that as long as regulations don't change (they were different when he became qualified, and may indeed change again), he sees no reason why anyone would elect to go the longer route of PhD, unless they want to get into research, teaching or simply want the title of Dr. A Psychological Associate colleague of mine also has her own company of related professionals and is enjoying a thriving client base. As for Counselling Psychologists, I believe in some provinces they can practice with just an MA, whereas not in others.

[nugget]

If you want a clinical position in a hospital one day, go for a PhD in Clinical Psych. With this degree you can do counselling, research and assessments and work in a hospital, or have a private practice. It's a more prestigious degree to have and can give you a wider range of job opportunities (and sometimes a higher salary). If you don't want a clinical position in a hospital, don't have a strong interest in research and simply want to open up a private practice, Counselling Psych is probably a better fit.

 

Two of the biggest differences between having an MA and working as a Psychological Associate and going for a PhD and becoming a Psychologist are the rates you'll be charging and the length of time spent in school. Sometimes people get their MA and work part time as a Psychological Associate while completing their PhD or take time off to work before returning for the PhD.

 

In Clinical Psych, there is a strong expectation that you will continue on to do a PhD (as previously mentioned) and in Couselling Psych it is not unusual for students to stop after the masters. You could drop out after a masters in Clinical Psych, you are by no means obligated to continue, but this is rarely done and could potentially be a sore point between you and your supervisor (but doesn't have to be if you have a good reason for not continuing and leave on good terms).

Edited September 25, 2014 by jenste

[nugget]

If you are interested in children, mental disorders, learning disorders, and working in schools, consider an MA in Counselling through a department of education. U of T, McGill, and U of Ottawa offer such programs, among others. If you don't want to write a thesis they also offer a MEd program in Counselling which is a terminal degree (although these programs generally aren't funded, but they are easier to get into). Keep in mind that with this type of degree you wouldn't be restricted to working in schools or with children,  however most in your cohort and faculty will have these interests.

 

An MSW is a very broad and marketable degree and you could do counselling with only a masters. U of T, York, Wilfrid Laurier, U of Windsor and Carleton offer 2 year MSW programs in Ontario, and there are others in BC and Alberta. If you consider doing an MSW, I would recommend that you closely examine the curriculum to see if you would be interested in taking this route. There is a lot of overlap with sociology and fewer courses in counselling than you might think. A lot about counselling is learned at internships (as these programs are internship heavy) and much of the course work is focused on social issues, poverty, advocacy, human rights, etc

 

But based on everything you've said so far, I think you'd be better off going with either Clinical or Counselling Psyc or applying to both and deciding after the offers come in.  (Perhaps a PsyD would be a good option as a backup plan depending on your future plans and interests). There are plenty of programs to choose from, if you've willing to move to a new city or province if needed.

Edited September 26, 2014 by jenste

[MHThinking]

Hi guys,

I'm just coming up to finish my master of clin psych this year. I've been putting together videos to share with clients so they have access at home.

I think they could also be helpful to people looking to scrub up on skills and understanding on aspects of psychology. I hope the moderators don't mind me linking to it here - there's no money to be made and it should be helpful.

Here's a link to the channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrpSqQFD-AYyZ3jSIctTBBQ?view_as=subscriber

Let me know if you find it helpful.

Alex