Curious about mental health counseling options...help!

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Hello everyone. I am looking into a Master's in Mental Health Counseling Program and have many questions. Will I be eligible to open my own practice as a LMHC? What types of services will I be able to provide (family counseling, drug counseling, etc.)?? I have an undergraduate degree in Human Development & Family Science with minor in Education. I want to be able to help families in crisis, particularly those facing drug abuse and poverty because I went through that in my own family. Would I be better off getting my MSW? I want to be able to open my own counseling center or rehab. Can I accomplish these things without a doctorate and would I be able to bill insurance? What kind of income is someone with their own private practice expected to average? Thanks all!

Your scope of practice will depend on the state in which you intend to practice. Some states don't allow an LPC/LMHC to diagnose mental illness, for example. If you're okay with posting your location, you might find people from the same state who can chime in about the specifics of scope and licensure.

As for M.S.W. vs. LPC, definitely do some searching in the forum -- you'll find a lot of debate about the merits of social work/counseling/MFT. The salary of each degree depends on your area, but the general consensus is that the M.S.W. is currently more marketable and more standardized across states. However, not all social work programs provide the amount of clinical experience that you'd get with a counseling degree. If your values don't mesh with the philosophical underpinnings of social work, or if you're not interested in taking coursework that isn't directly related to being a clinician, or if you'd be devastated if your first-year placement involved casework, think about counseling/MFT.

Originally Posted by Qwerk

Your scope of practice will depend on the state in which you intend to practice. Some states don't allow an LPC/LMHC to diagnose mental illness, for example. If you're okay with posting your location, you might find people from the same state who can chime in about the specifics of scope and licensure.

As for M.S.W. vs. LPC, definitely do some searching in the forum -- you'll find a lot of debate about the merits of social work/counseling/MFT. The salary of each degree depends on your area, but the general consensus is that the M.S.W. is currently more marketable and more standardized across states. However, not all social work programs provide the amount of clinical experience that you'd get with a counseling degree. If your values don't mesh with the philosophical underpinnings of social work, or if you're not interested in taking coursework that isn't directly related to being a clinician, or if you'd be devastated if your first-year placement involved casework, think about counseling/MFT.

I agree with the above except for the bold part. From what I've been able to glean (I'm a former MSW student) the lefty political underpinnings of social work are all but nonexistent today. Your "theory" class will be reading about attachment theory, not Marx and Engels. Unless you are a hard right person (politically), the purported philosophical underpinnings shouldn't be a stumbling block to the MSW path. Even then, just tell your profs what they want to hear until you graduate and you'll get through it.

Originally Posted by wigflip

I agree with the above except for the bold part. From what I've been able to glean (I'm a former MSW student) the lefty political underpinnings of social work are all but nonexistent today. Your "theory" class will be reading about attachment theory, not Marx and Engels. Unless you are a hard right person (politically), the purported philosophical underpinnings shouldn't be a stumbling block to the MSW path. Even then, just tell your profs what they want to hear until you graduate and you'll get through it.

I'm going to disagree slightly and say that it probably depends on the program. Not sure about other schools, but at Hunter, I can tell that students with conservative leanings are significantly uncomfortable during many of our discussions, though professors do try to be respectful of their beliefs. Liberation theory is a huge part of the curriculum -- Paulo Freire was assigned for three out out four of my courses this semester, including human behavior theory -- and I'm a clinical-track student. I actually had to laugh when I saw the name "Saul Alinsky" on one of my readings; the only way in which I'd previously been acquainted with his (rather obscure, if you're not a community organizer) work is through one of those manic, foaming Glenn Beck segments. Whatever right-wing talk show hosts are afraid of, it's alive and well at Hunter. I'm happy with it, but not everyone would be.

I don't want to imply that there's no place for conservatives in social work, but it might be a tiebreaking factor if a student is deciding between social work and another mental health field. It's definitely a good idea to inquire about the student culture before you make a decision. I know that I wouldn't be happy with a highly conservative social work program. Politics affects everything we do.

Hey Qwerk,

I just got accepted to Hunter and plan to focus on the clinical track. Would it be alright if I can private message you about your experience?

Particularly, the culture of the school. I am definitely not conservative, but I am not an extreme liberal and sometimes I find some aspects to that thinking irksome. I'd love to hear about your experiences. Let me know... thanks.

Originally Posted by goodfella1

Hey Qwerk,

I just got accepted to Hunter and plan to focus on the clinical track. Would it be alright if I can private message you about your experience?

Particularly, the culture of the school. I am definitely not conservative, but I am not an extreme liberal and sometimes I find some aspects to that thinking irksome. I'd love to hear about your experiences. Let me know... thanks.

Absolutely -- PM me with whatever questions you have.

Originally Posted by Qwerk

I'm going to disagree slightly and say that it probably depends on the program. Not sure about other schools, but at Hunter, I can tell that students with conservative leanings are significantly uncomfortable during many of our discussions, though professors do try to be respectful of their beliefs. Liberation theory is a huge part of the curriculum -- Paulo Freire was assigned for three out out four of my courses this semester, including human behavior theory -- and I'm a clinical-track student. I actually had to laugh when I saw the name "Saul Alinsky" on one of my readings; the only way in which I'd previously been acquainted with his (rather obscure, if you're not a community organizer) work is through one of those manic, foaming Glenn Beck segments. Whatever right-wing talk show hosts are afraid of, it's alive and well at Hunter. I'm happy with it, but not everyone would be.

I don't want to imply that there's no place for conservatives in social work, but it might be a tiebreaking factor if a student is deciding between social work and another mental health field. It's definitely a good idea to inquire about the student culture before you make a decision. I know that I wouldn't be happy with a highly conservative social work program. Politics affects everything we do.

Yes, but how did the other students react? Did they engage with the readings in a thoughtful, productive way, or roll their eyes and text while they were being discussed? The latter is what students in my program were like. Presidential election? Not so interested. Football tailgate: count me in!!

That said, I don't know anyone (activists or academics) who considers contemporary social work (as it actually is, not as it would like to think of itself) to be genuinely (politically) progressive. From what I was able to discern, little about my program resembled the social justice rhetoric that many still associate with the field. My friends in a different, also highly regarded program found the same to be true there.

I must have been lucky, because my classmates were very much engaged with our social justice readings and discussions, even those students who had little prior knowledge of the political system. This may have been influenced by the number of students at Hunter who have been working in social services for years and have seen the abuses and injustices that exist in the system. It could also be that Hunter selects students who have backgrounds in activism -- I do and many of my classmates do as well.

Originally Posted by Qwerk

I must have been lucky, because my classmates were very much engaged with our social justice readings and discussions, even those students who had little prior knowledge of the political system. This may have been influenced by the number of students at Hunter who have been working in social services for years and have seen the abuses and injustices that exist in the system. It could also be that Hunter selects students who have backgrounds in activism -- I do and many of my classmates do as well.

Interesting. The other activists I know who did an MSW had the same experience I had--"yikes! these aren't my people." maybe it's regional.

Originally Posted by wigflip

maybe it's regional.

That came to mind when I read your post. New York is pretty progressive, and social activism here is particularly strong. I don't have much experience with students from other M.S.W. programs, though, so I can't be sure whether it's just Hunter.

Being a recent graduate from a Masters in Counseling Psychology degree I am able to obtain my License as a Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), open a private practice and provide counseling to individuals that I am trained in. Thekey is to know exactly what you would like to do, I know MSW's who like to counsel and who do not like to counsel. I believe that you will receive more training and clinical practice with counseling in a Mental Health Counseling Program. I do agree with Qwerk, polotics are in everything including this field very heavily, also search other networking sites and local social work and counseling chapters and ask questions to their members.

Good Luck

I think it is advisable to get your doctorate first before you can open your own practice. People tend to trust in therapist who are well educated more especially in the psychology sector,and this will automatically bring good ROI.

Originally Posted by wigflip

I agree with the above except for the bold part. From what I've been able to glean (I'm a former MSW student) the lefty political underpinnings of social work are all but nonexistent today. Your "theory" class will be reading about attachment theory, not Marx and Engels. Unless you are a hard right person (politically), the purported philosophical underpinnings shouldn't be a stumbling block to the MSW path. Even then, just tell your profs what they want to hear until you graduate and you'll get through it.

You are right. I had heard that Social Work was a bastion of liberal, socialist, "progressive" values and was absolutely shocked when I slowly realized that about a 1/3 to 1/2 of the students in my program are conservative/Republican, white, Christians. And a few of them are pretty vocal, too.