I have a question that some of you may know how to answer. My primary areas of interest lie in two main areas:

counseling/helping victims of sexual assault
substance abuse/addiction

Does anyone know what program would be best suited for me in terms of what I should specialize in as far as the sexual assault part goes? I thought maybe I should specialize in trauma, but I wasn't sure if there was another area that would better fit with my interests.

Thanks

Kushkeeee

Hi kushkeeee,

man I dunno what my problem is today, but I am just going on a rampage posting about this book all over the forum.. anyway.

Insider's Guide to Graduate Programs in Clinical and Counseling Psychology : 2004/2005 Edition (INSIDER'S GUIDE TO GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1572309784/qid=1091138057/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-3563621-5444847?v=glance&s=books

This book lists research and clinical opportunities in the areas you mentioned. if I were you I would look through the book, and note schools that list all of the items you were interested in. since your list is relatively short and specific, you should be able to narrow it down in reasonable time, i think.

when i used that book i had some mess of 10 or 15 interests and it took me forever to whittle it down to a top list of 15 schools for myself.

this book wont give you the answer but it might help you with a starting point.

Do you have a researcher whose work you admire? Look up where he/she is and apply there. Can also punch in your research interests into PsychInfo and see who you come up with....talk to people who do this work and see which schools they recommend...

I agree with lazure too.. read articles from journals and psychinfo and stuff like that, and find out whos work you admire. you can check out the references on the bottom of articles too, for further leads. then go ahead and even contact the professors you find out about from your reading, unless the school has an explicit policy that that is not allowed. i have read in more than one place, that *not enough* people know about the faculty before they apply to a program, and that some faculty are even surprised that a student would be willing to commit to so much time at a program, or with a professor(s) without knowing what they do. seeking out a mentor, and letting that be a major deciding factor, is not a bad way to do things.