Stay for PhD or leave with Masters- clinically focused?

[flowers8080]

Hello everyone,
I really hope someone can help me out here- trying to find the right path for me!
I am in my third year of my clinical phd program and am considering leaving before I start the dissertation process. I have earned my masters and am thinking of bailing because my main interest is doing therapy. I know, phd programs are silly if you do not want to do research...but I didn't know this until after I came here. I guess my question is, if I leave with my masters, can I get licensed to do therapy? I have tried looking up this info and see what the degrees are called (LPC, LMHC, etc), and their requirements, but because I would have left a phd program, does my degree still qualify? And do I need to have those 2,000 hours of supervised therapy required before I apply for jobs, or will places of employment help me get there along the way?

Flip side: anyone stay for the phd and do all clinical work after? What are the benefits of phd over masters in a clinical setting?

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[PsychPsyance]

This may vary by state, but FWIW, in every state I've lived a masters in clinical is basically worthless as a practice degree. If you decided to go back and get a degree in counseling or social work, it would likely take you two to three years. By this time you could be done with your PhD. Also, thee is nothing that says you have to do research when your done. Many (most) PhD psychologists do clinical work exclusively.

 

[erg923]

Flip side: anyone stay for the phd and do all clinical work after? What are the benefits of phd over masters in a clinical setting?

Thats most doctoral level psychologists. I am the EBT coordinator 30% time, but I am otherwise all clinical and supervision of students.

Benefits to a phd in clinical setting in my mind: pay (obviously), deeper and more sophisticated knowledge of the psychopathology you are treating, better diagnostic skills, larger variety of clinical activities, more knowledge of health factors and physiology that affect functioning and treatment than your typical LCSW.