Second Thoughts

[Aestheticism]

I am having second thoughts about being a psychology major in my Junior/Senior year.

Working in Disability Services at my college, I realized I do have a love and passion for working with students that have disabilities (Physical, Emotional, Psychological). Education is very important to me and I love working in Higher Education.

I originally wanted to do a BA in Psych then go straight into a PhD/PsyD in Clinical BUT now I am thinking BA in Psychology, MA in Higher Education w/ Advising Certificate, PsyD in Counseling Psychology. Is that a good route to go factoring in that I do want to work in Higher Education and also possibly counsel children and teens with mental health? (I am not planning to go into research).
Thank you.

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[erg923]

I am having second thoughts about being a psychology major in my Junior/Senior year.

Working in Disability Services at my college, I realized I do have a love and passion for working with students that have disabilities (Physical, Emotional, Psychological). Education is very important to me and I love working in Higher Education.

I originally wanted to do a BA in Psych then go straight into a PhD/PsyD in Clinical BUT now I am thinking BA in Psychology, MA in Higher Education w/ Advising Certificate, PsyD in Counseling Psychology. Is that a good route to go factoring in that I do want to work in Higher Education and also possibly counsel children and teens with mental health? (I am not planning to go into research).
Thank you.

There are very few Psy.d. programs in counseling psychology. Like, maybe 3.

I would really encourage get out of the habit of conceptualizing mental health diagnoses/disturbances as "disabilities."

 

[CBFutureHelper14]

I am having second thoughts about being a psychology major in my Junior/Senior year.

Working in Disability Services at my college, I realized I do have a love and passion for working with students that have disabilities (Physical, Emotional, Psychological). Education is very important to me and I love working in Higher Education.

I originally wanted to do a BA in Psych then go straight into a PhD/PsyD in Clinical BUT now I am thinking BA in Psychology, MA in Higher Education w/ Advising Certificate, PsyD in Counseling Psychology. Is that a good route to go factoring in that I do want to work in Higher Education and also possibly counsel children and teens with mental health? (I am not planning to go into research).
Thank you.

Getting your MA and PsyD would be good if that is what you want to do. Seems like a good plan. Have you considered an MS in Counseling? You stated you would like to counsel teens and children with mental health.

 

[Aestheticism]

There are very few Psy.d. programs in counseling psychology. Like, maybe 3.

I would really encourage get out of the habit of conceptualizing mental health diagnoses/disturbances as "disabilities."

I am stating two different types of situations. I work in the disability services office with students with disabilities including physical, emotional, and psychological. Then I stated I am also interesting in working with mental health. There are students that are registered with us that have bipolar disorder, ADHD, PTSD, and etc. Then there are students who are blind or deaf. I am interesting in working with both.

There is a PsyD in Clinical Psychology in Florida. A PhD Clinical/School Psychology Program in Virginia. I was looking at both of them.

 

[Aestheticism]

Getting your MA and PsyD would be good if that is what you want to do. Seems like a good plan. Have you considered an MS in Counseling? You stated you would like to counsel teens and children with mental health.

Yes I seen the MS in Counseling but I am very interesting in the Higher Education Administration Degree. I plan to work in a research lab this upcoming August to gain experience for psychology though.

 

[WisNeuro]

So, you'd get a doctorate, to do some child counseling on a very part-time basis?

 

[CBFutureHelper14]

Yes I seen the MS in Counseling but I am very interesting in the Higher Education Administration Degree. I plan to work in a research lab this upcoming August to gain experience for psychology though.

Ok. Maybe decide after working in the research lab. Is working in a lab something you really want to do. Maybe you could find some mental health offices that would hire you as a paraprofessional. Not sure wjat Virginia does as far as paraprofessionals, but NC has some paraprofessional positions at some facilities

 

[erg923]

There is a PsyD in Clinical Psychology in Florida. A PhD Clinical/School Psychology Program in Virginia. I was looking at both of them.

Ok. And what I said in response your intent to apply/pursue in psyd in "counseling psychology" is that there are very few of those.

There are probably 50 Psyd program in clinical psychology, however.

 

[Aestheticism]

Ok. And what I said in response your intent to apply/pursue in psyd in "counseling psychology" is that there are very few of those.

There are probably 50 Psyd program in clinical psychology, however.

Yes I understand. I was just stating those that caught my interest in case you knew of them lol.

 

[Aestheticism]

Ok. Maybe decide after working in the research lab. Is working in a lab something you really want to do. Maybe you could find some mental health offices that would hire you as a paraprofessional. Not sure wjat Virginia does as far as paraprofessionals, but NC has some paraprofessional positions at some facilities

Yes I was thinking that as well. There aren't many clinics here that like to hire students for some reasons smh so I would have to search really hard.

 

[Aestheticism]

So, you'd get a doctorate, to do some child counseling on a very part-time basis?

Yes I would like to. So I could be a licensed psychologist to do child/teen counseling.

 

[WisNeuro]

Yes I would like to. So I could be a licensed psychologist to do child/teen counseling.

This does not seem like a good idea. It's a huge investment in time, and debt, to do something on a part-time basis, that you can conceivably do with a master's level degree.

 

[deleted343839]

I am having second thoughts about being a psychology major in my Junior/Senior year.

Working in Disability Services at my college, I realized I do have a love and passion for working with students that have disabilities (Physical, Emotional, Psychological). Education is very important to me and I love working in Higher Education.

I originally wanted to do a BA in Psych then go straight into a PhD/PsyD in Clinical BUT now I am thinking BA in Psychology, MA in Higher Education w/ Advising Certificate, PsyD in Counseling Psychology. Is that a good route to go factoring in that I do want to work in Higher Education and also possibly counsel children and teens with mental health? (I am not planning to go into research).
Thank you.

If you can narrow down to what you want to be doing with the majority of your time on a day-to-day basis, your training needs will be more clear. Perhaps you should look into Master's of Education programs that have an emphasis in higher education/student affairs. It may be that with a little extra coursework you could also become licensed as a professional counselor. If you wanted to mainly work in higher education settings but have the option to do a bit of practice on the side, this would seem the way to go. The main problem I see with this plan is that you would have to become competent in a short amount of time with two very different populations and sets of skills. Focus less on the degree/title (ie, psychologist) and more on what gets you to the day-to-day career that you want. If you want to mainly work in academic guidance/advising and have a small counseling practice on the side, I see no compelling reason to do a psychology doctorate.

 

[Aestheticism]

This does not seem like a good idea. It's a huge investment in time, and debt, to do something on a part-time basis, that you can conceivably do with a master's level degree.

The school I am admitted to has the BA in Psychology and the Higher Ed program I am interested in and the program is only 1 year. So that's why I was like okay sure why not? Because 1 year isn't even bad.

 

[WisNeuro]

The school I am admitted to has the BA in Psychology and the Higher Ed program I am interested in and the program is only 1 year. So that's why I was like okay sure why not? Because 1 year isn't even bad.

I was speaking to the 5+year commitment for a doctorate in psychology.

 

[Aestheticism]

If you can narrow down to what you want to be doing with the majority of your time on a day-to-day basis, your training needs will be more clear. Perhaps you should look into Master's of Education programs that have an emphasis in higher education/student affairs. It may be that with a little extra coursework you could also become licensed as a professional counselor. If you wanted to mainly work in higher education settings but have the option to do a bit of practice on the side, this would seem the way to go. The main problem I see with this plan is that you would have to become competent in a short amount of time with two very different populations and sets of skills. Focus less on the degree/title (ie, psychologist) and more on what gets you to the day-to-day career that you want. If you want to mainly work in academic guidance/advising and have a small counseling practice on the side, I see no compelling reason to do a psychology doctorate.

I think what I want for my main day-to-day routine would be something like: Teaching a course or two (weekly) on campus, advising students on careers and college goals (Academic Advising), then on weekends/evenings do small counseling for children and teenagers.

 

[Aestheticism]

I was speaking to the 5+year commitment for a doctorate in psychology.

I have no problem going into a 5 year doctorate program in something I want to do. The reason I am geared towards psychology because I will be limited if I get an EdD or PhD in Higher Education. I don't want to be limited because 1) Most universities do not pay high enough , 2) They may not even hire for what I want. So that's why I am considering becoming a psychologist because at least I could work in clinics, hospitals, or my own practice. For Ex: I want to become a professor and on campus psychologist. But they are only hiring for professor in amazing courses with tenure, I would take it than also work in a clinic. Professors do not work everyday and I know some who have flexibility to be both a psychologist and professor. So Idk

 

[Aestheticism]

Not "very" part-time. But more like evenings and weekends since children are in school and parents are at work during the week.

 

[WisNeuro]

How many hours a week do you want to work?

 

[deleted343839]

I think what I want for my main day-to-day routine would be something like: Teaching a course or two (weekly) on campus, advising students on careers and college goals (Academic Advising), then on weekends/evenings do small counseling for children and teenagers.

The master's route could work for advising and part-time counseling. The doctoral route could work for teaching and counseling. But getting paid to spend your time on all three, simultaneously, seems less likely.

Think about it this way. The average salary for an academic advisor is in the neighborhood of $40K-45K. A clinical psychologist can make twice that in private practice. A college professor will start out usually somewhere in between. (It's true that you could teach a college course or two as an adjunct, but no one aspires to that because the compensation is pitiful.)

A college or university does not hire someone to do a job that is basically a patchwork of several jobs, especially if those jobs have very different pay scales. When you see people who wear these multiple hats it's unusual, but when it happens it is usually a long-time faculty or staff member who has one main job title and takes on other roles over time. You are better off aspiring to one main job and then letting that take you wherever it takes you.

 

[Aestheticism]

The master's route could work for advising and part-time counseling. The doctoral route could work for teaching and counseling. But getting paid to spend your time on all three, simultaneously, seems less likely.

Think about it this way. The average salary for an academic advisor is in the neighborhood of $40K-45K. A clinical psychologist can make twice that in private practice. A college professor will start out usually somewhere in between. (It's true that you could teach a college course or two as an adjunct, but no one aspires to that because the compensation is pitiful.)

A college or university does not hire someone to do a job that is basically a patchwork of several jobs, especially if those jobs have very different pay scales. When you see people who wear these multiple hats it's unusual, but when it happens it is usually a long-time faculty or staff member who has one main job title and takes on other roles over time. You are better off aspiring to one main job and then letting that take you wherever it takes you.

Maybe because I see lots of professionals doing this I think it isn't too hard. At my college, there are maybe 5 Clinical Psychologists with a private practice that work as full-time advisors. Then I have a family friend that is a Clinical Psychologist both on and off campus, and a professor. So I assumed it wasn't that hard to do both. I worked in advising as a student worker and the hours ranged from 8am-2pm or 10am - 6pm for advisors. Which I feel like is okay because I could work full time then only see children let's say Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays from 4pm - 8pm and then Saturdays morning/afternoon.

 

[calimich]

Obviously we have our biases here, imo, the psychology PhD is one of the most versatile degrees when paired with the license. As a licensed psychologist you will be qualified (theoretically) to practice, teach, and research. You might want to consider ranking those activities -- it seems teaching and practice are above research for you, but which one is on top? You may not know yet.

As others have said, be cautions about the "I am not planning on going into research" mindset. Any reputable university will expect tenured faculty to produce some research/scholarship. If you're thinking of going the community college route or teaching in an adjunct role, "no research" might be acceptable.

It sounds like you're looking for flexibility in a career and you have a few examples of people with careers you like. Talk with them. What degree do they have? What was their academic/professional path?

 

[erg923]

I feel like all of this persons' posts ask similar questions about how to be an "academic adviser" (usually hired at the bachelor level) AND a practicing psychologist.

It been answered half a dozen times in 3 different threads. What exactly am i missing?

 

[smalltownpsych]

I feel like all of this persons' posts ask similar questions about how to be an "academic adviser" (usually hired at the bachelor level) AND a practicing psychologist.

It been answered half a dozen times in 3 different threads. What exactly am i missing?

You're missing the part where 95% (or maybe even more) of the academic advisors in the country are not clinical psychologists. The OPs university has a unique setup, I guess, and it is hard for her to see this as being outside the norm since that is her experience of it. I can see why this would be appealing and maybe even beneficial, on the other hand, is this really about providing treatment and calling it something else. As a clinical psychologist who has worked in different settings, that can raise some ethical questions. Since they are psychologists, I am sure that they have ways of addressing that issue.

 

[Spydra]

I am having second thoughts about being a psychology major in my Junior/Senior year.

Working in Disability Services at my college, I realized I do have a love and passion for working with students that have disabilities (Physical, Emotional, Psychological). Education is very important to me and I love working in Higher Education.

I originally wanted to do a BA in Psych then go straight into a PhD/PsyD in Clinical BUT now I am thinking BA in Psychology, MA in Higher Education w/ Advising Certificate, PsyD in Counseling Psychology. Is that a good route to go factoring in that I do want to work in Higher Education and also possibly counsel children and teens with mental health? (I am not planning to go into research).
Thank you.

You could finish your BA in Psych and then go on to a PhD in School Psych (there might also be Master's level practitioner options in some states) to accomplish that.

 

[deleted343839]

Maybe because I see lots of professionals doing this I think it isn't too hard. At my college, there are maybe 5 Clinical Psychologists with a private practice that work as full-time advisors. Then I have a family friend that is a Clinical Psychologist both on and off campus, and a professor. So I assumed it wasn't that hard to do both. I worked in advising as a student worker and the hours ranged from 8am-2pm or 10am - 6pm for advisors. Which I feel like is okay because I could work full time then only see children let's say Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays from 4pm - 8pm and then Saturdays morning/afternoon.

FIVE clinical psychologists (ie, people with a PhD or PsyD) working as full-time academic advisors? This is a very unusual arrangement. Have you found out their salary range?

Before moving forward, you might want to look at examples of how other colleges and universities staff their student advising services. My concern is that you are under the mistaken impression that psychologists are routinely employed as academic advisors. Many psychologists work in student counseling centers to provide mental health services. But academic advising, not so much. Hopefully some of us on SDN have been able to persuade you that what you're seeing at your college is not at all typical?

Also, in most places an 8a-2p schedule would be considered part-time.

 

[WisNeuro]

FIVE clinical psychologists (ie, people with a PhD or PsyD) working as full-time academic advisors? This is a very unusual arrangement.

Indeed, I have yet to see it happen once.

 

[Aestheticism]

FIVE clinical psychologists (ie, people with a PhD or PsyD) working as full-time academic advisors? This is a very unusual arrangement. Have you found out their salary range?

Before moving forward, you might want to look at examples of how other colleges and universities staff their student advising services. My concern is that you are under the mistaken impression that psychologists are routinely employed as academic advisors. Many psychologists work in student counseling centers to provide mental health services. But academic advising, not so much. Hopefully some of us on SDN have been able to persuade you that what you're seeing at your college is not at all typical?

Also, in most places an 8a-2p schedule would be considered part-time.

Yes it's five. I asked them for advice once and they told me they all have a PhD in Clinical Psychology. So that's why I am kind of like "I know it's possible" but not sure how often. I am not mistaken on how psychologists are hired. I am stating the options that I see. What I want to do is exactly that, just wanted an opinion in what exactly the route to go since I'm not really research savvy. Seems like I would have to force myself to like it more.

 

[Aestheticism]

You're missing the part where 95% (or maybe even more) of the academic advisors in the country are not clinical psychologists. The OPs university has a unique setup, I guess, and it is hard for her to see this as being outside the norm since that is her experience of it. I can see why this would be appealing and maybe even beneficial, on the other hand, is this really about providing treatment and calling it something else. As a clinical psychologist who has worked in different settings, that can raise some ethical questions. Since they are psychologists, I am sure that they have ways of addressing that issue.

The advisors told me they have private practices and do advising for students. I don't think it would be hard to do especially if you have enough clients for the private practice and have a good networking skills. I do want to counsel in mental health/special needs because I am interested in that but I also would love to be an advisor as well. I feel as though the psychology degree would bring more flexibility as in career choices than a degree in higher ed. I do understand that most advisors aren't psychologists, I'm not saying they are. I'm just giving my experience and stating that it is possible with the appropriate experience.

 

[erg923]

Yes it's five. I asked them for advice once and they told me they all have a PhD in Clinical Psychology. So that's why I am kind of like "I know it's possible" but not sure how often. I am not mistaken on how psychologists are hired. I am stating the options that I see. What I want to do is exactly that, just wanted an opinion in what exactly the route to go since I'm not really research savvy. Seems like I would have to force myself to like it more.

I still don't think many of us understand this arrangement. Where did they gain skills and experience in general academic advising, and why have they chosen to do this bachelors level job as their primary job?

Its all very odd and suspicious to me, frankly.

 

[Aestheticism]

I feel like all of this persons' posts ask similar questions about how to be an "academic adviser" (usually hired at the bachelor level) AND a practicing psychologist.

It been answered half a dozen times in 3 different threads. What exactly am i missing?

And every reply you make sounds rude and unwelcoming. Do I complain ? Okay. Stop reading my post. I'm going to ask as many questions as I want because this is MY ACCOUNT. MY POSTS. So get over it sir.

 

[Aestheticism]

Academic Advisors are now being hired at Masters level actually. Now schools are asking for them to have backgrounds in higher ed (ofcoarse) and psychology/counseling/career coaching.

 

[Aestheticism]

I still don't think many of us understand this arrangement. Where did they gain skills and experience in general academic advising, and why have they chosen to do this bachelors level job as their primary job?

Its all very odd and suspicious to me, frankly.

I think back then, you didn't need experience in higher education to be hired as an academic advisor from what I was told. Recently is where they started being strict on requirements. Academic Advisors are now in some schools being asked to get a Masters degree instead of a Bachelors degree. Then I am assuming that they were psychologists and maybe professors than branched off into advising maybe. (An assumption)

 

[smalltownpsych]

I would love to work as an academic adviser and just talk to high functioning, motivated young kids at a university. Do you all think i could get paid six figures to do this? Cause if so, I am signing up.

 

[PsyDr]

I think what I want for my main day-to-day routine would be something like: Teaching a course or two (weekly) on campus, advising students on careers and college goals (Academic Advising), then on weekends/evenings do small counseling for children and teenagers.

I've heard this plan throughout my career, and seen almost no one do it. Here's why:

Evening and weekend practices don't work. There is an incredibly high no show rate for both of those. And they are not set up so your 5pm no shows and you can go home early. You still have to wait for your 6pm and 7pm. The ugly truth about no shows is that you can't just relax for an hour; you are sitting there for 20 minutes wondering if they are coming, and then getting ready for your next one. Now you are getting home at 8pm. Assuming you are going to your day job at 9am... That's a 13 hr day, or 65hrs/week. Now add in one day on the weekends which have a worse no show rate. Your week is now mid 70hrs. People skip to sleep in, are having a great time and decide to miss, are hungover, etc. same thing with the people who show not being consecutive, so you can sit around your office with nothing to do for 40 minutes, work for an hour, etc.

adjunctive pays ridiculously low rates. It's not just 3hrs/week... It's lecture prep, office hours, meetings, etc. when I last looked into a teaching offer, my hourly rate to teach was going to be around $10/hr after lectures were prepared, commute, grading, office hours, etc. Academic advising pays little. But you can accept a low salary if that's your passion.

One of my grad school professors used to ask everyone what they wanted to do professionally. Most on the mommy track said something about seeing some pts in a private practice while their kid was in school. Zero of them have a practice like that.

 

[calimich]

I know one such psychologist/adviser person. At the UCC I pre/post doc'd at we had a psychologist who first worked as an academic adviser in one of the University's colleges, they went back to grad school to pursue the PhD in psychology while remaining employed part-time with the advising unit. After graduation & licensure, they were hired 50% as a psychologist in the UCC. They are actually a great asset as they keep the UCC folks up to date on all the academic timelines/minutia and bring mental health awareness to the advising folks. They literally split their workweek 50/50 between two departments/buildings on campus. It's not a role I'd want, and they seem happy and students request them by name in both roles. I'm almost positive they do not do private practice or teach classes.

This is in a major metropolitan area and is the only one I know of. So yes, it may be possible but not at all common.

 

[WisNeuro]

I've heard this plan throughout my career, and seen almost no one do it. Here's why:

Evening and weekend practices don't work. There is an incredibly high no show rate for both of those. And they are not set up so your 5pm no shows and you can go home early. You still have to wait for your 6pm and 7pm. The ugly truth about no shows is that you can't just relax for an hour; you are sitting there for 20 minutes wondering if they are coming, and then getting ready for your next one. Now you are getting home at 8pm. Assuming you are going to your day job at 9am... That's a 13 hr day, or 65hrs/week. Now add in one day on the weekends which have a worse no show rate. Your week is now mid 70hrs. People skip to sleep in, are having a great time and decide to miss, are hungover, etc. same thing with the people who show not being consecutive, so you can sit around your office with nothing to do for 40 minutes, work for an hour, etc.

adjunctive pays ridiculously low rates. It's not just 3hrs/week... It's lecture prep, office hours, meetings, etc. when I last looked into a teaching offer, my hourly rate to teach was going to be around $10/hr after lectures were prepared, commute, grading, office hours, etc. Academic advising pays little. But you can accept a low salary if that's your passion.

One of my grad school professors used to ask everyone what they wanted to do professionally. Most on the mommy track said something about seeing some pts in a private practice while their kid was in school. Zero of them have a practice like that.

I'm also curious what impact the ACA will have on these "part-time" private practice people as well as it chugs along.

 

[smalltownpsych]

I know one such psychologist/adviser person. At the UCC I pre/post doc'd at we had a psychologist who first worked as an academic adviser in one of the University's colleges, they went back to grad school to pursue the PhD in psychology while remaining employed part-time with the advising unit. After graduation & licensure, they were hired 50% as a psychologist in the UCC. They are actually a great asset as they keep the UCC folks up to date on all the academic timelines/minutia and bring mental health awareness to the advising folks. They literally split their workweek 50/50 between two departments/buildings on campus. It's not a role I'd want, and they seem happy and students request them by name in both roles. I'm almost positive they do not do private practice or teach classes.

This is in a major metropolitan area and is the only one I know of. So yes, it may be possible but not at all common.

This makes sense and it is important for the OP to understand that this is more of a chain of events coming together as opposed to a standard career path. It is sort of like becoming a TV personality as a psychologist. It can be done, but it's sort of a long shot and you can't really plan it based on what others did since there is no standard path.

 

[smalltownpsych]

Just to throw this into the mix there are also independent educational consultants who provide a variety of services along these lines. Their backgrounds can range from no clinical degree to psychologist. I used to work with quite a few of them when I was clinical director of a program for adolescents. Here are a few links to look at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_consultant
http://www.iecaonline.com/
http://www.strugglingteens.com/

 

[temppsych123]

If you aren't interested in research in at least some capacity (enough to do a good amount of it for 5ish years), doing a PhD is not going to be a great option. Some PsyD programs will train you well with less research required, but many of them require you to take on huge amounts of debt and you can end up stuck at the internship/licensure level. Yes, it's possible that psychologists can work as college/university advisors, and I believe you that that's the case where you are, but it's pretty uncommon because the pay offers for most academic advisors are going to be a lot lower than what most people with a doctorate are going to request for compensation. You are better off looking at master's level programs in counseling, advising, higher education management, etc. and going into less debt with a more marketable degree.

One good review of different types of psychology professions that other students have found useful is here:
http://mitch.web.unc.edu/files/2013/10/MitchGradSchoolAdvice.pdf

 

[deleted343839]

So that's why I am kind of like "I know it's possible" but not sure how often. I am not mistaken on how psychologists are hired. I am stating the options that I see.

Of course, and I totally see how the examples at your college have influenced your thoughts about your career. That makes sense - we start with the examples right in front of us. However, as I and various others have suggested, it's time to look beyond your own setting since the examples available to you are highly unusual and not representative of the majority of careers in either academic advising or psychology. So, again, I would encourage you to look into these fields more broadly.

For example, take a look at these open positions for academic advisors: https://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Member-Services/Position-Announcements.aspx - notice that these are master's and even bachelor's level positions.

The question you haven't answered is this: if you were to spend all that time and money earning a doctoral degree in psychology, why would you choose to spend the majority of your working hours in a profession that pays less (easily half of what a clinical psychologist can make in full-time practice), requires substantially less education, and does not really contribute to your professional development as a psychologist? The advisors at your college may be nice people, but there is no way around the fact that they are underemployed.

 

[psych844]

Great post MamaPhd.

I'd also be curious to hear where these people got their Phd's/Psyd's..underemployed for sure.

 

[Ollie123]

Aestheticism - I understand that this is what you are used to seeing, but I think its important you understand that either A) You are fundamentally misunderstanding how these folks are spending their time and/or B) That your university has a REALLY REALLY unusual setup.

The reality is that this is not really something we can give you advice on how to go about doing. I truly have no idea what to recommend because it involves combining several different paths that have very little to do with one another. I have worked at 5 different institutions and none of them had anything close to the setup you describe. I cannot imagine anyone doing all of those things well, nor can I imagine someone with 3-4 tangentially related jobs working 12 hours a day for likely lower pay than they would make doing one of those things 8 hours a day recommending it. I'm not sure anyone here is ever going to be able to answer your questions - we have been through several iterations of this same thread and it doesn't sound like its getting anywhere. It sounds like you know 5 individuals who do exactly what you want to do. It seems that is 5 more individuals than anyone on this board knows. Talk to them. All of them. Find out how they got there. I'll be surprised if it was a linear path.

 

[undertoad]

I am having second thoughts about being a psychology major in my Junior/Senior year.

Working in Disability Services at my college, I realized I do have a love and passion for working with students that have disabilities (Physical, Emotional, Psychological). Education is very important to me and I love working in Higher Education.

I originally wanted to do a BA in Psych then go straight into a PhD/PsyD in Clinical BUT now I am thinking BA in Psychology, MA in Higher Education w/ Advising Certificate, PsyD in Counseling Psychology. Is that a good route to go factoring in that I do want to work in Higher Education and also possibly counsel children and teens with mental health? (I am not planning to go into research).
Thank you.

Like the other posters, I can't endorse pursuing a PsyD if your primary interest is higher education. Also, most quality PsyD programs that offer funding will still expect some experience with and commitment to research. An unfunded PsyD program isn't necessary for your professional interests, and the debt load would be significant.

If you have an interest in working with students who have disabilities, there are about 250 transitional programs at colleges across the country. I would investigate these and determine what level of education is required to work with such a program. My guess is that most of them are not doctoral level educators or clinicians.

If you decide to move forward with doctoral level education, Ohio State has an IDD/Clinical program. There may be others out there. You would need research experience, however.

I would also seek professional experience in the field to reality-test your desire to work with special needs populations in a clinical setting. I work as a direct support professional (a kind of paraprofessional who assists people with activities of daily living and behavioral needs) with people who have ID/DD, and I can tell you the work is not easy, though it can be rewarding. Working in your college's disability services office is one thing, and it might offer good experience for future work in higher education. Doing clinical work with people outside of an academic setting is another; these folks may not possess the same level of proficiency as students who are able to enroll in college, and they may need extensive assistance in developing skills for independent living. This is not for everyone.

 

[Indiana_Jane]

I would echo @undertoad. Field experience helped me immensely. For example, I worked as an mental health paraprofessional in an inpatient psychiatric facility, a case manager in a local agency serving victims of abuse/neglect, and a research coordinator for a local mental health grant, and a few others. I also volunteered at a number of places (e.g., shelters, CASA, Crisis Line) in order to really think about what track was right for me (e.g., social work, counseling, psychology). This experience (coupled with my involvement in several labs) was invaluable. It's one thing to read the requirements for a program (or even a job!) but to see it is another. With each experience, I was able to narrow my focus and refine my interests. I'm entering a Clinical Psychology PhD program this fall and I can say that I know I made the right choice because I took the time to explore every option.

Spending 5+ years to earn a doctorate doesn't seem to gel with what you'd like to do. Because what you've seen is so rare (academic adviser path), you should talk to the professors occupying those roles and see what they have to say! Whatever you do, I really think you would gain insight from field experience!! Just coming out of interview season, I definitely didn't hear a lot of applicants with career goals similar to yours (i.e., most want to research and/or clinical work...granted we all *have* to say that ) and that might be worth something, too. You want to spend your time in a program that you enjoy, not just as a means to an end.

 

[Aestheticism]

Thanks everyone.
It's just very frustrating because research isn't really my passion. Is it possible to earn a decent (60k - 80k) salary in academic advising? I would assume it would depend on experience and location.
The positions I've seen for administration roles in Higher Ed do require a doctorate of some sort in a related field. Then it seems as if the higher the degree, the less experience required? Ex: Bachelors = 5 years experience; Masters = 3 years experience; PhD/EdD = 1-2 years experience (Only from my research).

 

[Aestheticism]

I know one such psychologist/adviser person. At the UCC I pre/post doc'd at we had a psychologist who first worked as an academic adviser in one of the University's colleges, they went back to grad school to pursue the PhD in psychology while remaining employed part-time with the advising unit. After graduation & licensure, they were hired 50% as a psychologist in the UCC. They are actually a great asset as they keep the UCC folks up to date on all the academic timelines/minutia and bring mental health awareness to the advising folks. They literally split their workweek 50/50 between two departments/buildings on campus. It's not a role I'd want, and they seem happy and students request them by name in both roles. I'm almost positive they do not do private practice or teach classes.

This is in a major metropolitan area and is the only one I know of. So yes, it may be possible but not at all common.

This would be my ideal career. Do you know if the person receives the average salary for her PhD or if their salary just did a slight increase? I know Higher Education does not pay that much but I know certain schools do offer their psychologist 80k+ starting salaries.

 

[calimich]

I don't know about their salary. I do know they were employed first as a MA level academic adviser for many years (~10) before returning to school to pursue the PhD.

 

[ClinicalABA]

Thanks everyone.
It's just very frustrating because research isn't really my passion. Is it possible to earn a decent (60k - 80k) salary in academic advising? I would assume it would depend on experience and location.
The positions I've seen for administration roles in Higher Ed do require a doctorate of some sort in a related field. Then it seems as if the higher the degree, the less experience required? Ex: Bachelors = 5 years experience; Masters = 3 years experience; PhD/EdD = 1-2 years experience (Only from my research).

It's important to remember that jobs that are at or above the mid-career avg. for salary are likely to be very competitive, with applicants with many years of experience. The less common the job, the more experienced applicants there will be, making it very difficult for early career clinicians. Many of those higher paying positions will go to internal candidates who have "done their time" or to clinicians specifically recruited. When doing the math to calculate cost vs. returns of graduate training (especially in regards to student loans), I caution you not to look at what the experienced, recruited/internally promoted candidate earns, but what someone like yourself- early career, minimal experience at highest credential, external candidate- is likely to earn.

My experience personally- when we need a psychologist who can do what we need them to do and is "worthy" of the competitive salary we want to pay, we either already know who we want and recruit directly or groom them internally. Blind "help wanted"'adds rarely (never?) pay off. There's relatively quite a few blind adds for the 45-60k jobs (and even more for fee for service/part time). Not so much for the higher paying positions, which are often filled before they're emptied. Dream big and train/prepare big, but invest realistically.