Counseling psychology is dying out?

[xyzpsych]

Sorry but I meant for the title to be eye-catching so people will possibly steer this direction and respond to this, what I consider is, very important topic.

Recently we've observed quite a few counseling psychology programs closing down--from Stanford early on to Penn State to UIUC. The program under the dpt of ed at U Minnesota stopped taking applicants for a year. Why do you think this is happening? How might it affect the future of counseling AND clinical psychologists?

Despite the increasing similarity between clinical and counseling psych, my experience at the admission interviews has been that people that consider themselves relatively high on being humanistic still crowded to counseling instead of clinical programs. Anyone else feels the same/differently?

What do people in the clinical program think about people applying with an MA in counseling? Are there going to be any special concerns that the applicant will need to address? I'm asking this because I have a counseling MA degree and applied to counseling psych phd programs this year. I didn't get any admission this year and will apply to both clinical and counseling when I apply again. I love the humanistic and social-justice culture at most counseling programs, but there are not enough of them that research topics that I'm interested in for me to apply broadly.

Any thoughts?

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[MBellows]

You asked some questions that are extremely relevant to why I continue to frequent this forum.

Recently we've observed quite a few counseling psychology programs closing down--from Stanford early on to Penn State to UIUC. The program under the dpt of ed at U Minnesota stopped taking applicants for a year. Why do you think this is happening

I would like to hear thoughts on this as well, but I suspect that it may have something to do with professional identity, the closing gap between clinical and counseling psychology, and the rise of counseling as a separate and growing field.

Anyone else feels the same/differently?

I think it depends on how you define humanistic and where you go. If you just want to play the numbers game and see how many faculty members self-identify as humanistic, I think you can get confirmation of that from The Insider's Guide.

What do people in the clinical program think about people applying with an MA in counseling? Are there going to be any special concerns that the applicant will need to address?

Again, the numbers show that clinical programs tend to gear mainly towards undergraduates with significant research experience and or if master's one in research. I imagine that with the growth of counseling as a profession you'll likely be confronted by the same questions a social worker would, why do you want to switch, and why not a counseling psychology program?

I'm asking this because I have a counseling MA degree and applied to counseling psych phd programs this year. I didn't get any admission this year and will apply to both clinical and counseling when I apply again. I love the humanistic and social-justice culture at most counseling programs, but there are not enough of them that research topics that I'm interested in for me to apply broadly.

I completely feel you here, but my area is Rehabilitation Counseling, which I think is a gift and a curse. Rehab is a bit more specialized and I feel like I may be able to sell myself better to specific faculty mentors in my area, but in applying for non-rehab programs, even CACREP programs, I'm going to have to be completely sure of my reasoning for applying... when I finally buckle down and do it.

 

[ela]

The CSPP program at UMN is kind of a unique case; there is already a counseling psych program housed in the Psych dept at MN, and basically all of the CSPP faculty are retiring, so I've heard.

 

[xyzpsych]

You asked some questions that are extremely relevant to why I continue to frequent this forum.



I would like to hear thoughts on this as well, but I suspect that it may have something to do with professional identity, the closing gap between clinical and counseling psychology, and the rise of counseling as a separate and growing field.



I think it depends on how you define humanistic and where you go. If you just want to play the numbers game and see how many faculty members self-identify as humanistic, I think you can get confirmation of that from The Insider's Guide.



Again, the numbers show that clinical programs tend to gear mainly towards undergraduates with significant research experience and or if master's one in research. I imagine that with the growth of counseling as a profession you'll likely be confronted by the same questions a social worker would, why do you want to switch, and why not a counseling psychology program?



I completely feel you here, but my area is Rehabilitation Counseling, which I think is a gift and a curse. Rehab is a bit more specialized and I feel like I may be able to sell myself better to specific faculty mentors in my area, but in applying for non-rehab programs, even CACREP programs, I'm going to have to be completely sure of my reasoning for applying... when I finally buckle down and do it.

Glad that someone else here agrees it's an important issue. I think comparing my situation to MSWs applying to psychology is a good example. I can definitely think further along this line =)

Some faculty that I know personally instead of professionally told me the same thing about why counseling psychology programs are phasing out. Another explanation is that, because most counseling psych programs are in Dpt of Ed, they don't get as much funding support as clinical programs in Dpt of Psych. So they go broke, so they stop taking students.

I'm also wondering how might this affect the job prospect for clinical psych graduates tho? Will university counseling centers be more open to taking clinical interns or even psychologists? I will be happy to apply to either program if the gap in employment is also closing.

 

[MBellows]

I'm also wondering how might this affect the job prospect for clinical psych graduates tho? Will university counseling centers be more open to taking clinical interns or even psychologists? I will be happy to apply to either program if the gap in employment is also closing.

I was in a school at one point that had a number of LPCs and one counseling psychologist on staff in the counseling center. I think there are a number of staff psychologists from a variety of programs at my current institution. We also have a community counseling clinic, two rehabilitation clinics, and a psychology clinic on our campus.

 

[KillerDiller]

I'm also wondering how might this affect the job prospect for clinical psych graduates tho? Will university counseling centers be more open to taking clinical interns or even psychologists? I will be happy to apply to either program if the gap in employment is also closing.

I was never under the impression that university counseling centers were ever not open to taking clinical people--just that fewer tended to apply.

 

[cara susanna]

I know a lot of clinical people who did their internship at a UCC.