Counseling vs. Social Work vs. Psychology...

[Theresa92]

Hey everyone. I am new to these boards and am hoping to get some advice regarding future career plans. I am a junior at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and will hopefully be graduating Spring 2014 with two bachelors degrees in Psychology and Business Management. What I've always wanted to do is work with individuals in a counseling type setting. However, I'm unsure of which higher degree I should aim for.

I have been very interested in receiving a masters in counseling(mental health track, not school counseling). However, I am unsure of the exact differences between social work, counseling, and psychology. I would like to work in a more one to one setting with individuals. As I understand it, a masters in psychology will not allow that. With that being said, social work and counseling seem to be the only options that WILL allow me to work one on one with individuals in my state. What is the difference between the two?

Also, just some general questions.... when does one start truly preparing for graduate school? I don't even know where to start with the GRE, preparing for interviews, etc. Anyone have any general advice, or can provide any resources?

Thanks everyone. I appreciate you taking them time to help me out.

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[JustNoticing]

Try searching this forum for tons of info on the topic. Most master's in "just" psychology, don't prepare you for a licensable job in most states. Stick with social work or counseling, or look into MFT if you are in a state that is friendly to them.

Preparing for grad school - get paid or research experience that is relevant in the human services field. Anything from suicide hotlines, working in residences for adults with mental illness, volunteering at shelters, etc. You may or not need the GRE for MA programs. Check the websites of programs you are considering. Also check out the websites to compare curriculum and field experiences/internships across programs.

 

[wigflip]

two quick suggestions:

1. Go to your state board of behavioral sciences (or whatever they call it in your state) website to gain info about what degrees lead to licensure in your region. Then you can research the curriculum for those degrees.

2. Change your sdn status from "psychologist" to...just about anything else. Psychologists have completed graduate training (usually a doctorate, though it appears that in some regions people with masters degrees in school psych can be called "psychologist") and licensure. Being an undergrad working on a psych major doesn't qualify you for the title, and folks here are likely to get a bit touchy about it.

 

[MBellows]

I am a junior at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and will hopefully be graduating Spring 2014 with two bachelors degrees in Psychology and Business Management.

Call people in the state that you want to work in, find out whether or not they have problems getting reimbursed for services in that state. I would say call at least 3-5 of each MSW/LPC to get a handle on it.

As for differences, in practice SW is going to be a lot more ecosystems and dynamic whereas counseling programs tend to be humanistic and developmental. Social workers tend to value client protection more highly than others in the field, counselors tend to value personal growth more. Both tend to work from a strengths perspective.

Another option is Rehabilitation Counseling if you want to work with people with physical or mental disabilities (psychiatric, developmental disabilities, intellectual disabilities). They tend to be a sort of middle ground from my experience and value client autonomy more than others.

 

[Qwerk]

Good suggestions so far. I'd add that you should look at the job outlook in your area. Certain areas have more opportunities for one profession or the other. Check job boards and talk to professionals practicing in your area. Also, definitely look at the scope of practice of counselors and social workers in the state in which you plan to work. In some states, counselors and social workers can do basically the same things in a mental health setting, but in others, there are limitations.

 

[Psychadelic2012]

I would like to work in a more one to one setting with individuals. As I understand it, a masters in psychology will not allow that. With that being said, social work and counseling seem to be the only options that WILL allow me to work one on one with individuals in my state. What is the difference between the two?

I have a masters degree in (clinical) psychology and I am licensed to do psychotherapy as a counselor. If you find the right program (clinical psych or counseling psych), it's possible, although it's not the case with all of them. To add to the mix, clinical psychology tends to have more education that is research- and assessment-focused (as in, psychometrics and psych testing) than counseling programs will have. They also tend to be a bit more focused on more severe mental illness, although that varies by program and an individual's focus.

 

[voyeurofthemind]

Hey everyone. I am new to these boards and am hoping to get some advice regarding future career plans. I am a junior at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and will hopefully be graduating Spring 2014 with two bachelors degrees in Psychology and Business Management. What I've always wanted to do is work with individuals in a counseling type setting. However, I'm unsure of which higher degree I should aim for.

I have been very interested in receiving a masters in counseling(mental health track, not school counseling). However, I am unsure of the exact differences between social work, counseling, and psychology. I would like to work in a more one to one setting with individuals. As I understand it, a masters in psychology will not allow that. With that being said, social work and counseling seem to be the only options that WILL allow me to work one on one with individuals in my state. What is the difference between the two?

Also, just some general questions.... when does one start truly preparing for graduate school? I don't even know where to start with the GRE, preparing for interviews, etc. Anyone have any general advice, or can provide any resources?

Thanks everyone. I appreciate you taking them time to help me out.

A clinical master's in psychology WILL in NC allow you to work as a licensed psychological associate Google NC Board of Psychology. There is some debate about phasing it out.

 

[Psychadelic2012]

A clinical master's in psychology WILL in NC allow you to work as a licensed psychological associate Google NC Board of Psychology. There is some debate about phasing it out.

Ah, yes, good point. In multiple other states, one can also be credentialed as a psychological associate/assistant with a masters in psychology (CA, TX, to name a couple that I'm familiar with)--it may even be a little looser than the requirements for counselor licensure in the same state, although it depends on the state (in CA that is true, for example). The psych assistants, to the best of my knowledge, won't have the ability to work independently as the counselors eventually will. I could be wrong about that, though.

 

[KKint]

I have a masters degree in (clinical) psychology and I am licensed to do psychotherapy as a counselor. If you find the right program (clinical psych or counseling psych), it's possible, although it's not the case with all of them. To add to the mix, clinical psychology tends to have more education that is research- and assessment-focused (as in, psychometrics and psych testing) than counseling programs will have. They also tend to be a bit more focused on more severe mental illness, although that varies by program and an individual's focus.

How feasible it is to take up a professional counseling course , but not accredited by CACREP like the one in university of Utah . Will this effect in getting license later

 

[MBellows]

How feasible it is to take up a professional counseling course , but not accredited by CACREP like the one in university of Utah . Will this effect in getting license later

I assume you mean going through a non-CACREP counseling program and not just taking a counseling course. I would avoid taking any non-CACREP/CORE accredited programs. Other people may tell you differently depending on region, but the ACA is lobbying hard to make the educational requirements standardized and you may end up limited depending on what type of work you want to do and whether you want to be able to bill insurance in the coming years (which you should probably want to do).