If you want a PhD in clinical psych, I would do one of two things.
1) No research experience - try for an MA in general psych or experimental psych and find a research lab to work in. Try to at least get some posters, but shoot for a paper or two. This will exponentially help you get into a PhD program.
2) Have research experience already? Maybe try an MA in a mental health counseling program. They are also required to have supervised practicum experience, plus there is overlap in the coursework. If you already have a research background with posters and publications, and now you add in relevant clinical training plus improved grades in relevant classes, you should be in a better spot.
I did point number 2. I was originally a finance and economics major and hated it, but I switched to psychology too late in college to get any research or volunteer experience. So, instead of applying directly to a PhD program, I was accepted into a MHC program. During my first year, I maintained a 4.0, began working in a neurophysiology lab, and obtained a clinical externship. After the first year I applied to several PhD programs and had a few interviews. All liked the incoming clinical experience. Now I am applying for neuropsych postdocs 6 years later.
This was my experience, but I can attest to it being more relevant to the training one would receive in a clinical PhD program.
