MA or Phd

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Hello , So I'm doing my bachelor's in psychology , my goal is to just practice not really interested in research even though i wouldn't mind doing it . I planned on getting my Master's as a licensed mental health counselor problem is I want to be able to live comfortably. Does a person with PhD really get paid a lot more than a LMHC now a days ? Should I stay with a ma in LMHC or go for my PhD in Clinical Psychology ? Is it really harder to find jobs as a LMHC ?

Please if you view this post take the time and input your opinon, Thank you.

If you only want to practice and are not interested in research, don't let them know that on your PhD application. On the contrary, you will have to convince them why your life goal is to do research, the questions you want to answer, what motivates you to pursue that area of study, etc.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer to my post!

Originally Posted by Blizzard1mage

If you only want to practice and are not interested in research, don't let them know that on your PhD application. On the contrary, you will have to convince them why your life goal is to do research, the questions you want to answer, what motivates you to pursue that area of study, etc.

This.

If your primary interest in the doctorate is financial security, try searching the doctoral forum threads for terms like "mid-level encroachment" or look for threads with titles like "Would you do it all again?"

Originally Posted by wigflip

This.

If your primary interest in the doctorate is financial security, try searching the doctoral forum threads for terms like "mid-level encroachment" or look for threads with titles like "Would you do it all again?"

Its not just financial , I absolutely love psychology always have since even before entering High School 6 years ago , I just want to make sure I'm going to do what I love and also be able to maintain and support a family.

Originally Posted by LEM04

Its not just financial , I absolutely love psychology always have since even before entering High School 6 years ago , I just want to make sure I'm going to do what I love and also be able to maintain and support a family.

I was responding to your concerns juxtaposing the earning potential of masters vs doctorate:

Originally Posted by LEM04

problem is I want to be able to live comfortably.

Originally Posted by wigflip

I was responding to your concerns juxtaposing the earning potential of masters vs doctorate:

I want to do my PhD im just concern because its such a long ride which will make my loan debt increase, Would you recommend going straight into a PhD program instead of a MA then PhD?

Originally Posted by LEM04

I want to do my PhD im just concern because its such a long ride which will make my loan debt increase, Would you recommend going straight into a PhD program instead of a MA then PhD?

If all you want to do is therapy, then get a Master's. You don't need a Ph.D. and given the debt you will go into to obtain a practice-oriented Ph.D. or Psy.D., it doesn't make economic sense. If you have no interest in research (as you said above) or in any of the other array of activities a doctoral degree will prepare you for, then doctoral study is not really appropriate.

Originally Posted by psycscientist

If all you want to do is therapy, then get a Master's. You don't need a Ph.D. and given the debt you will go into to obtain a practice-oriented Ph.D. or Psy.D., it doesn't make economic sense. If you have no interest in research (as you said above) or in any of the other array of activities a doctoral degree will prepare you for, then doctoral study is not really appropriate.

yea but I've heard jobs are limited to Psychologist with only an MA , that why im considering goin straight into my PhD after my BA in Psychology

Originally Posted by LEM04

yea but I've heard jobs are limited to Psychologist with only an MA , that why im considering goin straight into my PhD after my BA in Psychology

You cannot be a psychologist with only a master's. That is a title restricted to licensed doctoral-level individuals. It sounds like you need to do more research about the field.

Originally Posted by psycscientist

You cannot be a psychologist with only a master's. That is a title restricted to licensed doctoral-level individuals. It sounds like you need to do more research about the field.

I know that information I meant to say " I am limited to jobs with a MA in psychology" *

Originally Posted by LEM04

I know that information I meant to say " I am limited to jobs with a MA in psychology" *

But if your only goal is therapy, a master's is usually adequate, whereas a doctorate is typically going to be overkill (especially if you're not really interested in research). Plenty of folks find jobs with master's degrees.

Originally Posted by LEM04

Hello , So I'm doing my bachelor's in psychology , my goal is to just practice not really interested in research even though i wouldn't mind doing it .

"even though i wouldn't mind doing [research]" = go the masters route. really. save yourself the heartache.

and at the risk of sounding harsh, when it's time to apply, i would strongly suggest you visit your college's writing center for help with the personal statement.

Wait a minute. I just read on another thread that you are "currently starting your bachelors." Even if your college somehow starts in early July, this still means you just graduated high school, right? Slow down. I don't think you need to worry about the rigors of doctoral study just yet. You don't even know if you'll like (or excel in) the undergraduate major.

I think the OP is a bit confused master's-level practitioners. LEM04, the M.A. in psychology isn't your only option. If you're only interested in practicing, you should do a bit of Googling around this forum and look at programs in counseling, social work, and marriage and family therapy. All of these have different salary levels and job outlooks depending on your state and area of practice.

Originally Posted by wigflip

Wait a minute. I just read on another thread that you are "currently starting your bachelors." Even if your college somehow starts in early July, this still means you just graduated high school, right? Slow down. I don't think you need to worry about the rigors of doctoral study just yet. You don't even know if you'll like (or excel in) the undergraduate major.

No i just got my associates in Liberal Arts and Transferring over to another school to begin my BA

Originally Posted by Qwerk

I think the OP is a bit confused master's-level practitioners. LEM04, the M.A. in psychology isn't your only option. If you're only interested in practicing, you should do a bit of Googling around this forum and look at programs in counseling, social work, and marriage and family therapy. All of these have different salary levels and job outlooks depending on your state and area of practice.

Thank you , Many people have actually told me I should consider getting my MA in Social Work or Mental Health Counselor . I will definitely look into that.

Originally Posted by wigflip

"even though i wouldn't mind doing [research]" = go the masters route. really. save yourself the heartache.

and at the risk of sounding harsh, when it's time to apply, i would strongly suggest you visit your college's writing center for help with the personal statement.

It's kind of insulting that you are focusing more on my grammar than the advice I'm asking for, I didn't sign up in a forum to get my grammar corrected but to see which was the best route to take. Thank you for your time anyway.

Originally Posted by LEM04

It's kind of insulting that you are focusing more on my grammar than the advice I'm asking for, I didn't sign up in a forum to get my grammar corrected but to see which was the best route to take. Thank you for your time anyway.

Huh? My comment had nothing to do with grammar. My post was an abbreviated way of saying that the way you talk about research suggests that doctoral study is not for you. That's not an insult. It's a suggestion made with an eye towards saving you thousands of dollars and years of work.

Edit: Actually, I re-read the thread (my reply above was hasty) and I was in fact suggesting that the OP's writing could use assistance (though this was incidental to the point I was making). But as I say above, it's not a grammar critique so much as the fact that the OP's intended meaning is obfuscated by the quality of writing. Be offended, don't be offended--I don't care--but you're the one who is suggesting that you might be interested in doctoral study. I'm suggesting that OP would have a better chance of achieving that goal by honing his/her writing. But who knows? Few psychologists are known for their elegant prose.

Originally Posted by wigflip

Huh? My comment had nothing to do with grammar. My post was an abbreviated way of saying that the way you talk about research suggests that doctoral study is not for you. That's not an insult. It's a suggestion made with an eye towards saving you thousands of dollars and years of work.

I apologize if I misinterpreted your comment, Thank you for your help.

FTR, we've had our dept refer several of our doctoral students to the university writing center. Some of them undoubtedly need help with their writing in general because it flat out sucks and they can't piece a string of words together... However, we also have other students referred for various other reasons other than "crappy writing." They can be helpful and improve your writing, regardless of whether you think you're the next Pulizter winner. Hell, I know faculty members who use them for projects... EVERYONE can use feedback on their writing; I wouldn't balk at it. It's part of the process. If you can't take criticism now, then you better learn to quickly.

Originally Posted by paramour

EVERYONE can use feedback on their writing

I wish you could tell my students that, paramour; they could benefit from the advice. Most of them appear to have the hubris to think themselves on par with Dostoevsky...if they knew who that was.