Advice Please

[T2026@55P]

I am a Junior, non traditional student, I will complete my BS in psychology in either May 2019 or 2020 depending on whether or not I go full time or part time. My current GPA is approximately 3.5. I know what I want to do but I don't know what to do to get there.

I want to provide therapy for trauma kids. What I'd like to do ultimately is own my own clinic and provide supervision for others with Masters so they can provide therapy for trauma kids, specifically those with RAD.

I don't know if I need a Masters, PsyD, nor what some of the best schools are thay I should apply to go to. I am flexible and can move.

I had wanted to go to Hawaii but found out they only accept 2% of applicants AND they don't have terminal Master degrees plus they only do PhD not PsyD.

I want to work with trauma kids and train/supervise other therapists to help them get certified. (I realize all of this takes time.)

There are so many different therapies and acronyms and they all do something different.

I need to know if a Masters is all I need or do I need a PsyD? I want to work in a clinic & train others and actually help people.

Is there anyone that can answer these questions?

Thank you!

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[deleted343839]

I want to provide therapy for trauma kids. What I'd like to do ultimately is own my own clinic and provide supervision for others with Masters so they can provide therapy for trauma kids, specifically those with RAD.

For the business side of things, the master's versus doctoral distinction is not really that important. As one of my former supervisors explained to me, success in private practice has more to do with marketing than with being a great clinician.

If you are going to be supervising and training master's level therapists, the experiences you receive as a doctoral trainee might serve you very well. In my opinion, if you are going to focus on trauma in a leadership or supervisory role then it would be worthwhile to train at the doctoral level where you really learn the science behind your interventions. There is a lot of pseudoscience in the field of trauma work, and learning how to sort it out and provide evidence-based care that you can stand behind with solid outcome data might set you apart from the people peddling EMDR, "energy healing," and so forth. A PsyD (from a reputable university-based program - there aren't very many of them) or a PhD could both meet your training needs.

 

[T2026@55P]

Thank you. Is there anything I should be doing at this point to distinguish myself? I am currently a foster parent. I've heard I can "shadow" professionals. How does that work and how can I get a position to do that?

 

[T2026@55P]

Which schools offer a PsyD in what I'm wanting? Every time I do a search I get all the paid advertisements that pop up first. Like I said I can go anywhere.

 

[foreverbull]

Use APA's search tool below to find Clinical PsyD or Counseling PsyD programs. APA accreditation in the PsyD program you're looking for is important for professional respectability (if you choose a non-APA program, it may limit professional options).

APA-Accredited Programs

You can reach out to a local clinical director of a community mental health organization or a psychologist at a community health organization and ask to shadow them, but I'm not sure if they would allow it; depends on the site. Do you know anyone through the grapevine who is a psychologist whom you can shadow for a day? You could also look up psychologists in the area who work with trauma and interview them about their trauma work.

 

[deleted343839]

Thank you. Is there anything I should be doing at this point to distinguish myself? I am currently a foster parent. I've heard I can "shadow" professionals. How does that work and how can I get a position to do that?

I would focus less on clinical experience and seek opportunities to become involved in research. Your undergraduate advising office might be able to help you find opportunities in your department. Some programs offer course credit in exchange for working as a research assistant, but there may also be volunteer positions. Research experience is important if you are considering doctoral training as an option.