I am considering further training and would like some input.
I am a master-level counselor with a CRC certification (certified rehab counselor), and I did the credits needed for mental health licensure (LPC or LMHC), but I do not have the 3000 supervised work hours needed for licensure yet. I am dissatisfied with working as a vocational rehab counselor for a state agency, which I have done for four years (the agency refuses to let supervisors sign off on hours for mental health licensure), and my goal really is to transition to work as a mental health therapist. So, how to make the transition... it has not been an easy exploration. One thought is, because I have a strong interest in psychoanalysis and psychotherapy, I have considered attending a two-year psychoan. psychotherapy training program that I could do in addition to full-time work - a few people think I am crazy for wanting to do this as it could be stressful. This first option would allow me to have training in psychotherapy, and acrue hours toward LPC. It would probably take four years to acrue the 3000 hours, on a part-time basis, and then when I'm all done, I will be able to work as a therapist from a psychoanalytic perspective with an LPC license, but I doubt it would increase my earning capacity - but it would certainly be more what I want to do. The second option I am considering is a doctoral degree. I have considred the following: PhD in Rehab Counseling/Administration, doctoral degree in Social Work, or PhD or PsyD in Psychology. I am not yet sure which degree would be best for me or allow for the greatest increase in earning capacity, but I am thinking likely that would be psychology.
Questions:
1. What are the benefits of a doctoral degree in Psychology over Counseling, or Social Work?
2. Also, would a PsyD or PhD really increase earning capacity beyond that which a mastersl-level therapist could have? I know that for psychologists who are professors, school psychologists, neuropsychologists, and psychologists working for the federal government, salaries do tend to be higher, and psychologists working in large metropolitan areas - but what about clinical counseling? For one who would like to practice as a psychotherapist, I am wondering whether it would be worth it to pursue a doctorate degree in psychology, or would doing two years for psychoanalytic psychotherapy plus another few years to accumulate hours for LPC be just as worth-it? (I do also have some interest in research and teaching).
A bit about my interests, for those who wish to respond: I am interested in practicing psychotherapy from a psychoanalytic or psychodynamic perspective. I do have some interest in teaching at the college level. I do have an interest in research. My interests are in vocational and life transition and crisis, and traumatic experiences, and how people cope through change and crises, the resources they find helpful, and how people find new purpose and meaning through crisis. I am also interested in the interrelationship between right and left brain, between emotion and language, implicit and explicit experience, felt meaning as symbolized through language, and language to access inner meaning; as Eugene Gendlin puts it, "the felt sense". I am fascinated by the work of Jill Bolte Taylor. The work of Heinz Kohut and self-psychology, and also object relations is fascinating to me. Also, I am fascinated with the work of psychoanalyst Salman Akhtar on immigration experience. My favorite (living) career theorist is Mark Savickas, PhD. And, being a rehab counselor, I still also have a strong interest in people with disabilities (especially psychology of disability, and adjustment to disabilitiy). Also, my bachelors is in music and I play a variety of instruments and I am a composer. So, that is some background.
Things I am concerned about in moving forward are: 1) the cost of further education. I already have a 60K education loan I am paying on. I may be willing to do a doctorate if I knew it could lead to more substantial and rewarding work personally and financially, and if I knew the degree could be covered with financial aid. But, it seems like a dauting task to find aid for graduate work these days. I am jealous of those who earned a psychology doctorate in the 70's when funding was ample and who had their whole degree covered by grants, stipends etc! 2) The second concern is that I make sure I choose something that will allow me to do what I really want to. I would regret gonig through a doctoral program that does not offer more in-depth training in therapy than I have now.
I would appreciate any thoughts, advice, recommendations.
Thank you!
js1221
I am a master-level counselor with a CRC certification (certified rehab counselor), and I did the credits needed for mental health licensure (LPC or LMHC), but I do not have the 3000 supervised work hours needed for licensure yet. I am dissatisfied with working as a vocational rehab counselor for a state agency, which I have done for four years (the agency refuses to let supervisors sign off on hours for mental health licensure), and my goal really is to transition to work as a mental health therapist. So, how to make the transition... it has not been an easy exploration. One thought is, because I have a strong interest in psychoanalysis and psychotherapy, I have considered attending a two-year psychoan. psychotherapy training program that I could do in addition to full-time work - a few people think I am crazy for wanting to do this as it could be stressful. This first option would allow me to have training in psychotherapy, and acrue hours toward LPC. It would probably take four years to acrue the 3000 hours, on a part-time basis, and then when I'm all done, I will be able to work as a therapist from a psychoanalytic perspective with an LPC license, but I doubt it would increase my earning capacity - but it would certainly be more what I want to do. The second option I am considering is a doctoral degree. I have considred the following: PhD in Rehab Counseling/Administration, doctoral degree in Social Work, or PhD or PsyD in Psychology. I am not yet sure which degree would be best for me or allow for the greatest increase in earning capacity, but I am thinking likely that would be psychology.
Questions:
1. What are the benefits of a doctoral degree in Psychology over Counseling, or Social Work?
2. Also, would a PsyD or PhD really increase earning capacity beyond that which a mastersl-level therapist could have? I know that for psychologists who are professors, school psychologists, neuropsychologists, and psychologists working for the federal government, salaries do tend to be higher, and psychologists working in large metropolitan areas - but what about clinical counseling? For one who would like to practice as a psychotherapist, I am wondering whether it would be worth it to pursue a doctorate degree in psychology, or would doing two years for psychoanalytic psychotherapy plus another few years to accumulate hours for LPC be just as worth-it? (I do also have some interest in research and teaching).
A bit about my interests, for those who wish to respond: I am interested in practicing psychotherapy from a psychoanalytic or psychodynamic perspective. I do have some interest in teaching at the college level. I do have an interest in research. My interests are in vocational and life transition and crisis, and traumatic experiences, and how people cope through change and crises, the resources they find helpful, and how people find new purpose and meaning through crisis. I am also interested in the interrelationship between right and left brain, between emotion and language, implicit and explicit experience, felt meaning as symbolized through language, and language to access inner meaning; as Eugene Gendlin puts it, "the felt sense". I am fascinated by the work of Jill Bolte Taylor. The work of Heinz Kohut and self-psychology, and also object relations is fascinating to me. Also, I am fascinated with the work of psychoanalyst Salman Akhtar on immigration experience. My favorite (living) career theorist is Mark Savickas, PhD. And, being a rehab counselor, I still also have a strong interest in people with disabilities (especially psychology of disability, and adjustment to disabilitiy). Also, my bachelors is in music and I play a variety of instruments and I am a composer. So, that is some background.
Things I am concerned about in moving forward are: 1) the cost of further education. I already have a 60K education loan I am paying on. I may be willing to do a doctorate if I knew it could lead to more substantial and rewarding work personally and financially, and if I knew the degree could be covered with financial aid. But, it seems like a dauting task to find aid for graduate work these days. I am jealous of those who earned a psychology doctorate in the 70's when funding was ample and who had their whole degree covered by grants, stipends etc! 2) The second concern is that I make sure I choose something that will allow me to do what I really want to. I would regret gonig through a doctoral program that does not offer more in-depth training in therapy than I have now.
I would appreciate any thoughts, advice, recommendations.
Thank you!
js1221
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