Torn between MSW and Mental Health Counseling Degree

[msa2786]

Hi everyone,

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. It is not my intention to put down any profession or discipline. I'm just confused and trying to seek advice. This may be long, so please bear with me.

I'm 32 years old, and have an undergrad degree in Psychology and a master's in environmental safety. I've worked in mental health for several years, and recently decided that I want to return to school to obtain a graduate degree in the human services field. My goal is to work as a therapist and one day have my own practice working with the adult population. I keep reading and hearing that it's best to become a LCSW rather than an LPC because an MSW degree is far more marketable, profitable and recognized as opposed to a master's in Mental Health Counseling, for example.

I've been accepted into an MSW program with a Micro/clinical concentration, which will begin this Fall. However, I'm having second thoughts. My main concern: Does the Social Work philosophy align well with my personal philosophy? Sometimes I get the impression that Social Work tends to, for the most part, "blame" the client's problems on external factors (like oppression or the government, etc.). I've come to understand (through my own hardships and life experiences and that of others') that looking at outside factors as the cause for our misfortunes keeps people from accessing their Higher Self, if you will. I guess you could say that I'm more into Positive Psychology. Rather than looking at how messed up the government is and perceiving ourselves as being oppressed, I believe it's important to take radical responsibility for our circumstances by looking within ourselves, and that focusing on the good in our lives will help transform the areas we are not happy about. This is all assuming a person has their basic needs met. I would never expect someone who is homeless or has nothing to eat to work on accessing their Higher Self. But basically, I'm not sure that my personal values and outlook are consistent with those of the Social Work discipline. And so I wonder if the field of Mental Health/Psychology would be a better fit than the field of clinical Social Work.

I'm torn because I've already been accepted into the MSW program and would have to wait about 6 months to get into a graduate Mental Health/Psychology program that's more than $10k more expensive than the MSW program. On one hand, I wonder if I'm simply mistaken about the clinical Social Work discipline and judging it wrong. On the other, I wonder if I'd be making a mistake by getting my MSW versus a Mental Health Counseling/Psych degree. I know that an MSW program is more marketable and offers greater job security, but I want to make sure my values align with my field of study.

My questions:

1. Do you think that my values and beliefs are too different from the Social Work values and philosophy?
2. Am I better off just waiting to apply to a Mental Health Counseling program instead?
3. Am I overthinking things?
4. Should I go the MSW route and just make my practice what I want it to be (Positive Psychology approach)?

Thanks again for your time!

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[Dahresto]

Get into a different program.

 

[Moki1984]

Hi everyone,

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. It is not my intention to put down any profession or discipline. I'm just confused and trying to seek advice. This may be long, so please bear with me.

I'm 32 years old, and have an undergrad degree in Psychology and a master's in environmental safety. I've worked in mental health for several years, and recently decided that I want to return to school to obtain a graduate degree in the human services field. My goal is to work as a therapist and one day have my own practice working with the adult population. I keep reading and hearing that it's best to become a LCSW rather than an LPC because an MSW degree is far more marketable, profitable and recognized as opposed to a master's in Mental Health Counseling, for example.

I've been accepted into an MSW program with a Micro/clinical concentration, which will begin this Fall. However, I'm having second thoughts. My main concern: Does the Social Work philosophy align well with my personal philosophy? Sometimes I get the impression that Social Work tends to, for the most part, "blame" the client's problems on external factors (like oppression or the government, etc.). I've come to understand (through my own hardships and life experiences and that of others') that looking at outside factors as the cause for our misfortunes keeps people from accessing their Higher Self, if you will. I guess you could say that I'm more into Positive Psychology. Rather than looking at how messed up the government is and perceiving ourselves as being oppressed, I believe it's important to take radical responsibility for our circumstances by looking within ourselves, and that focusing on the good in our lives will help transform the areas we are not happy about. This is all assuming a person has their basic needs met. I would never expect someone who is homeless or has nothing to eat to work on accessing their Higher Self. But basically, I'm not sure that my personal values and outlook are consistent with those of the Social Work discipline. And so I wonder if the field of Mental Health/Psychology would be a better fit than the field of clinical Social Work.

I'm torn because I've already been accepted into the MSW program and would have to wait about 6 months to get into a graduate Mental Health/Psychology program that's more than $10k more expensive than the MSW program. On one hand, I wonder if I'm simply mistaken about the clinical Social Work discipline and judging it wrong. On the other, I wonder if I'd be making a mistake by getting my MSW versus a Mental Health Counseling/Psych degree. I know that an MSW program is more marketable and offers greater job security, but I want to make sure my values align with my field of study.

My questions:

1. Do you think that my values and beliefs are too different from the Social Work values and philosophy?
2. Am I better off just waiting to apply to a Mental Health Counseling program instead?
3. Am I overthinking things?
4. Should I go the MSW route and just make my practice what I want it to be (Positive Psychology approach)?

Thanks again for your time!

Feeling the same questions. Watching

 

[sfgucadoc]

Stay in your program. You do NOT want to take on another $10K in loans or other debt. I think you will find your MSW program is not as heavily slanted toward "blaming" external factors. But the hallmark of SW is the person-in-environment approach. It doesn't mean you have to see that as the ONLY lens through which to view your clients' problems. I have degrees in psychology (AM, PhD) and SW (MSW). You just have to grasp the person-in-environment concept and understand how to apply them, not swallow them hook, line, and sinker.

 

[foreverbull]

Give the MSW program AT LEAST a semester to see how you feel, even a year. You haven't experienced the program enough to say either way. Also, mental health counseling also explores cultural factors as one of the causes of behavior/mental illness. That's standard across all programs in mental health, etc. Just because you don't believe external factors are the only factor involved doesn't mean it isn't beneficial to be trained with that perspective and have the knowledge. Usually folks in psychology/mental health see mental illness as a combination of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors (Biopsychosocial model), but I'm not seeing why you can't have that perspective as well from an MSW program...that's their focus, but you can practice with a Biopsychosocial foundation, of course.

 

[Cheenghee Koh]

So, a few weeks in the program, which program did you choose? and how do you feel about it?

 

[wesleysmith]

I can understand the frustration. Social work programs can be very political and you'll get a lot of ideology thrown into the mix, especially the first year. Hopefully you've already looked into this but my main concern at this point would be the internships available and vetting out professors for core courses and electives that would provide the perspective and education I was interested in while taking what I can from it all. You'll have a career of continuing education and trainings in various interventions to look forward to, don't let some initial culture shock startle you. The person in environment perspective is valid. Some things you can address, others you can only account for, all of it should be used for case conceptualization, not to attribute blame. Otherwise, you're not problem solving.

 

[psych_pa]

Here is my take:
You really want to look at the big picture. You're already a nontraditional graduate student starting at age 32, so waiting longer for a degree which cost more appears to be a waste of time. I am not sure if it is this way in every state or just the state I am in, but if you are interested in private practice folks with social work degrees can bill through more insurance. Because of this, no matter what setting you get into (private practice, community mental health, etc) social workers usually make more money. Also, as a social worker there is an option for you to do locum tenens work (travel) and LMHCs do not have that option as LCSWs are primarily what is found in hospital settings which is where they do the contractual work. Kinda neat.

Now to get to the meat and potatoes of your actual concerns:
What any program teaches you is fundamental to your training, surely, but this does not have to be how you actually practice outside of school. Once you graduate, if you do not like the lens in which you were taught, you can adhere to different theories in your practice. You can choose to operate through a lens of CBT, Adlerian, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Feminist theory, Family therapy models (too many to mention specifically), motivational interviewing techniques, ecological theory... I digress. My point is, if you find yourself clinging onto a specific way of doing things that does not align with how you are taught- just go with the flow while in school but cater things to the way you view the world once you've graduated. There is no invisible rope tying you down once you have that diploma in hand.