What should be my next step?

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Hey everyone! I have a few questions that I could really use some help with. I am just about done with an Associate’s degree in Chemical Dependency Counseling. When I first started school I thought this was all I wanted to do. However, I have since decided that I would like to work in the Mental Health field. My goal is to eventually have the freedom to open a practice, but I am so confused about what degree I should be getting. I have received all different types of responses but everything has been so vague. Currently, I am planning on transferring for a Bachelors in Psych. I got accepted into a few schools for it; however I am worried that I won’t be able to do much with just a Bachelors in psych. I also want to choose a path where I will be able to make a pretty good living. So here is my list of questions and hopefully someone can help because I could really use it. Thanks for your time!

1. What am I going to be able to do with a Bachelors in psych? or eventually a Masters in Clinical Psych?

2. Will I be better off getting a BSW>MSW>LCSW? If so, what will I be able to do with it?

3. What about a LMHC? What are my options with that and what path should I take with my education to get there?

Any other ideas or suggestions that come to mind would be appreciated. I just really am confused with all of the different titles and licenses and I am confused on what path to take with my schooling.

In most states, someone with a Master's degree in psychology will not be able to practice. In general, it's a stepping stone to a Ph.D. As Master's-level training goes, if you plan to practice, you would be better off with a social work, marriage and family therapy, or counseling Master's program.

I'm biased toward the M.S.W. for a few reasons -- you'll see a lot of that particular bias on these forums. :-) It will open a few more doors for you. Social work is an established field and M.S.W. recipients are a known quantity among employers, government programs, and insurance companies. In most states (I think Indiana is the one exception), you will be able to diagnose and treat mental illness, which you may not be able to do with other degrees.

You'll have to make sure that the program to which you apply is a practice-focused program as opposed to community organizing or nonprofit administration, but many programs are highly clinical.

In what city are you looking for programs?

Originally Posted by Tony V33

1. What am I going to be able to do with a Bachelors in psych?

Nothing special, just get an entry level job like the folks who major in anything else (English, History).

Originally Posted by Tony V33

or eventually a Masters in Clinical Psych?[/FONT][/COLOR]

Probably not a licensable degree, as suggested by poster above. More about gaining research experience, networking for doctoral route.

Originally Posted by Tony V33

2. Will I be better off getting a BSW>MSW>LCSW? If so, what will I be able to do with it?

You don't need a BSW to get an MSW. The LCSW is a great license...if you want to do social work. Not all social work jobs entail the kind of counseling you seem to want to do (if I am reading you correctly). If you get the MSW, be prepared to learn to do therapy at an institute or elsewhere after graduation--you may be prepared to acquire a good license, but you won't be getting the same counseling curriculum the LPCs and MFTs are getting.

Originally Posted by Tony V33

Any other ideas or suggestions that come to mind would be appreciated. I just really am confused with all of the different titles and licenses and I am confused on what path to take with my schooling.

You're in the right place. Search and read the threads on these forums, as well as your state's board of behavioral sciences website.

You don't need a BSW to get an MSW. The LCSW is a great license...if you want to do social work. Not all social work jobs entail the kind of counseling you seem to want to do (if I am reading you correctly). If you get the MSW, be prepared to learn to do therapy at an institute or elsewhere after graduation--you may be prepared to acquire a good license, but you won't be getting the same counseling curriculum the LPCs and MFTs are getting.

Second that!

Originally Posted by Vasa Lisa

Second that!

Vasa Lisa--remind me--are you an MFT or LPC (or which are you working toward)?

CMHC. Working toward LPC. About a thousand hours to go

Originally Posted by Vasa Lisa

CMHC. Working toward LPC. About a thousand hours to go

Thanks for the clarification and more importantly, congrats!

We just got the LPC in CA. Probably a more versatile license than the MFT. All the acronyms in the mental health world really are a hoot!

Originally Posted by wigflip

Thanks for the clarification and more importantly, congrats!

Thank you! Because of my practice setting, if I don't take on a second site, it will still be a long time before I am eligible to sit for the NCMHCE. Some states allow licensure with just the NCE! Which in my state is equal to a comprehensive exam at the MA level, but isn't a clinical exam. And of course CA being CA designed their OWN exam for the LPC.

Originally Posted by wigflip

We just got the LPC in CA. Probably a more versatile license than the MFT. All the acronyms in the mental health world really are a hoot!

It is pretty ironic that CA is often first in the nation and they were last on this one. Lots of powerful lobbys in CA.

And I watch client's eyes glaze over during informed consent when I tell them about my status as a resident - all they care about is - Can you hear my story, can you help me sort things out, when will I feel better, and how long is it going to take. yes, yes, it depends, it depends... and BTW it is *work*

Originally Posted by Tony V33

Hey everyone! I have a few questions that I could really use some help with. . .

Any sort of counseling/therapy position will almost certainly require graduate education. I am an LAPC (a licensed associate professional counselor) meaning that I graduated within the last 3 years. I will say that between MFT (marriage and family therapist), LPC (licensed professional counselor), and LCSW/MSW(licensed clinical social worker/master's in social work) that the LCSW/MSW route gives you far more options, but all of those extra options aren't necessarily therapy. The above poster was correct is stating that MFT and LPC programs, in general, provide better clinical skills training and supervision but that is usually because MFT and LPC programs teach you to do only one thing: therapy. MSW programs teach you about a much broader range of social justice advocacy, including linking clients with community resources, skill building, and lobbying, to name a few. Also, in most states LPCs and MFTs aren't able to 1013 (involuntarily hospitalize) clients. This has been a real pain for me and it creates an artificial hierarchy between LPCs and LCSWs. However, all that extra training is usually squeezed into the same time frame as LPC and MFT degrees, so it comes at the expense of not getting as deep into every area. I have had clinic managers with both types of licenses, btw, so it probably would not affect you so much in the long term.

If you are looking to get a PhD, then the Psychology M.A. is the best, with the LPC probably being the second best route. An MSW program may help you get a PhD but you'd have to make sure you are involved in research.