Clinically-minded folks: Where do you want to be working eventually?

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Hi. This is sort of the companion thread to the recent thread asking where research-minded people see themselves ending up. I realize there's overlap between research and practice for many of us. But for those who lean in the clinical direction, what are your aspirations post-graduation?

I'm interested in doing a combination of assessment, therapy and consultation. My interests vary, but relate in particular to adult attachment, trauma and loss, and relationship difficulties. I'm also interested in serious and persistent mental illness. I enjoy group work and consultation, and would love to use this somehow in combination with my background in law.

I think I'm probably headed initially to a hospital or college counseling setting, and eventually into part or full-time private practice. You?

I'd love to work at a hospital and do research on the side. Ideally, I'd like to work inpatient.

Of course, I may get to grad school and find out that I'm not as into clinical work as I thought, in which case I will go more towards research.

I like older folks and memory/cogntive disorders associated with aging. Hopefully a memory clinic at a medical center or VA. VA seems the best in terms of pay and benefits, but has a rather narrow population, so Im not sure yet. I dont think I could ever deal with the headache of billing and managing overhead in a PP. Although, I would like to stay up on my therapy skills, but primarily with semi-healthy older adults.

I'd like to be a Staff Psychologist at a College Counseling Center and eventually move up to a Director position. I really enjoy working with "kids" - adolescents and young adults.

I'd also like to teach a couple courses each semester as an adjunct.

Jon

Ideally I'll be splitting my time between a (non-clinical) consulting business, teaching, mentoring, and seeing a few long-term pts. I enjoy clinical work, but I would loathe having to see patients every day just to make ends meat. My clinical population is difficult, and I think I'd burn out with a full load.

The wildcard in all of this is my neuro training. I enjoy the academic side, though I've had limited experience in the day to day aspects of it. I am planning on doing a 2 year post-doc in it (if I continue to enjoy the work), so that may turn into something more.

Mine is a little odd. I don't want to work in a Hospital or Clinic. I would love a carrier tour or OSCAR billet with the marines. In the end I would like to work with MARSOC or DevGru. Definitely the applied side of the clinical spectrum, working with soldiers in the field.

After the military, either consulting or private practice.

Mark

Originally Posted by Markp

Mine is a little odd. I don't want to work in a Hospital or Clinic. I would love a carrier tour or OSCAR billet with the marines. In the end I would like to work with MARSOC or DevGru. Definitely the applied side of the clinical spectrum, working with soldiers in the field.

After the military, either consulting or private practice.

Mark

Mark - can you translate some of those acronyms for us non-military types? It sounds interesting...

I've heard being a consultant for the army is good pay and not really difficult work, so I'd consider doing that.

I'd love to go away for a bit for school, but then I'd really love to return to Toronto with regards to location. But yeah, I agree hospital research setting.

If you don't mind me asking, what population?

Originally Posted by Therapist4Chnge

Ideally I'll be splitting my time between a (non-clinical) consulting business, teaching, mentoring, and seeing a few long-term pts. I enjoy clinical work, but I would loathe having to see patients every day just to make ends meat. My clinical population is difficult, and I think I'd burn out with a full load.

The wildcard in all of this is my neuro training. I enjoy the academic side, though I've had limited experience in the day to day aspects of it. I am planning on doing a 2 year post-doc in it (if I continue to enjoy the work), so that may turn into something more.

I think T4C works with ED's.

As for me, I'd like to have a split practice involving working both for a school district and for a CMHC or child/adolescent rehab hospital. I'd also like to collaborate on research, preferably in conjunction with a UCEDD (university-affiliated, independent research institutions that focus on disability-related research, including a lot of psychology stuff) and/or CROWD (Center for Research On Women with Disabilities).

I would love to work in a forensic and clinical setting (my primary interests are severe psychopathology and criminal behavior) doing therapy and assessment. Would also like to teach part time (like a class or 2 a year); not really interested in the academic side of things. I will probably do some research, but not sure exactly how that will work in to the other stuff.

Originally Posted by AryaStark

If you don't mind me asking, what population?

My primary population is eating disorders, though I also do a good amount of work with Axis-II and PTSD (mostly domestic/sexual violence, etc). My eventual goal is to open up a step-down facility for EDs and substance abuse. I'm going to start on an out-patient basis, and then work towards, IOP, and eventually residential. I'm taking a detour to train with the VA in neuro, though that is more of an academic interest than something I'd want to do on a daily basis.

Originally Posted by psychmama

Mark - can you translate some of those acronyms for us non-military types? It sounds interesting...

Marsoc is the marines special operations command, DevGru is basically a component of naval special forces. They employ psychologists for a variety of reasons.

Mark

I'd love to work in either a private practice, or something along those lines. Either private or open practice. I'm not interested in research that isn't done purely on my own free will, and on my own time, more or less.

I really want to do...everything. *Sigh.* My dream job is to land a tenure track position in a Research II-type school (I know technically the Research I/II distinction doesn't exist anymore, but whatever) that has a doctoral program, because I know that I want to teach, mentor and supervise graduate students. I also want to get into scholarship of training and supervision as a secondary research interest, though we will see if I find therapy training this interesting once I'm out of grad school. I also want to continue my current research (emotion in substance use), teach undergrads, and hopefully become DCT of a clinical program. Perhaps keep some clients on the side as well....

Originally Posted by ClinicalTrainee

I really want to do...everything. *Sigh.* My dream job is to land a tenure track position in a Research II-type school (I know technically the Research I/II distinction doesn't exist anymore, but whatever) that has a doctoral program, because I know that I want to teach, mentor and supervise graduate students. I also want to get into scholarship of training and supervision as a secondary research interest, though we will see if I find therapy training this interesting once I'm out of grad school. I also want to continue my current research (emotion in substance use), teach undergrads, and hopefully become DCT of a clinical program. Perhaps keep some clients on the side as well....

The nice thing about teaching/clinical work...you can continue far into your "retirement" years if you so choose. I know professors into their 70's that are still making meaningful contributions, while also enjoying their semi-retirements.

T4C, when you say you'd like to start an ED and SA/SD step-down program, do you mean a dual diagnosis program or seperate programs? Just curious...

Originally Posted by futureapppsy2

T4C, when you say you'd like to start an ED and SA/SD step-down program, do you mean a dual diagnosis program or separate programs? Just curious...

I've drawn it up both ways, though I think the one I am going with is a primary ED Dx, with co-morbid SA Dx. There are plenty of SA Dx programs, though very few ED ones in this niche (between a traditional residential program and an IOP/OP program). I'll still have SA out-patient Tx, but that is about it. I wouldn't be averse to a seperate SA halfway house, but that is a much more crowded market with less of an upside.

If you have more spec. questions, you can feel free to PM me.

Originally Posted by Markp

Marsoc is the marines special operations command, DevGru is basically a component of naval special forces. They employ psychologists for a variety of reasons.

Mark

Thanks! It's interesting to learn about the field of military psychology.

Originally Posted by Therapist4Chnge

I've drawn it up both ways, though I think the one I am going with is a primary ED Dx, with co-morbid SA Dx. There are plenty of SA Dx programs, though very few ED ones in this niche (between a traditional residential program and an IOP/OP program). I'll still have SA out-patient Tx, but that is about it. I wouldn't be averse to a seperate SA halfway house, but that is a much more crowded market with less of an upside.

If you have more spec. questions, you can feel free to PM me.

Something like Devereaux?

Eating disorders. The area in which I live and attend school is so horribly underserved in that category. Too much focus on substance abuse, I think.
I eventually want to do private practice, and maybe on down the road somewhere, open a treatment center. That's so far in the future, though.