Going back for a PhD in clinical/counseling psych with an unusual background

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

ginger112

New Member
5+ Year Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2017
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
I have a PhD in rehabilitation counseling but am finding that I'm in the wrong field for what I want to do, which is clinical/counseling psychology, and there's no real way for me to make that pivot without a clinical/counseling psych PhD. Rehabilitation counseling departments that do research--especially psych-like research--almost exclusively hire psychology PhDs (the rare non-psych hires are people with dual clinical mental health counseling /rehab counseling dual PhDs, which I'm also not). The rehab counseling departments that hire faculty with rehab counseling PhDs almost exclusively hire people with traditional, vocational rehab backgrounds and do little research, which also isn't me. This schism is very deep, and there appears to be no way to jump from the latter to the former. Honestly, though, clinical/counseling psych is a much better fit for what I want to do and is where most of collaborators are. (Respecialization programs, sadly, aren't an option, as my PhD isn't in "psychology"). The question I'm running into is how to frame my somewhat unusual background....

Academic: BA in psych (3.75-ish GPA), MA in school psych (3.75-ish GPA), PhD in rehab counseling/special education (4.0 GPA), currently in the first year of a two year postdoc at an R1 (90% research, 10% clinical)

Research:
-Most of my research is on trauma, depression, and suicide, with a focus on people with disabilities. During my masters, I did some ABA/autism-focused research and have about seven publications from that.
-Just under 50 peer-reviewed publications (will likely be 50+ when I apply), half of which are first author. Mix of journals (nothing pay to publish), of course, but are generally mid-tier or better, including some very good ones. Mostly psych and counseling journals, with a couple of education journals.
-Co-editor of a book on trauma and disability, to be published by a major academic publisher
-Seven book chapters (including three in my co-edited book), half of which are first author
-A few encyclopedia entries and invited reviews and commentaries, including one for a major (30+ IF) medical journal
-My research has received some media attention
-Various research awards, including many from APA divisions, and a university-wide research award from the university where I got my PhD
-$20,000 foundation research grant as co-PI, $1,000 state grant as PI, two $500 institutional grants, applying for more grant internal grant funding. Was also a specifically named RA in a $1.3 million R1 grant as an undergrad/masters student.

Teaching:
-Lots of TAships, including three summers of TAing an masters-level counseling skills intensive
-Taught three masters-level courses and two undergrad courses as instructor of record, adjunct teaching a masters-level course this summer
-Supervised masters-level rehab counseling practicum students for two semesters
-Supervised SPED academic intervention practicum students for three semesters

Clinical:
-During my masters, I did practica in general ed and therapeutic schools and a CMHC
-During my PhD, I did practica in a disability services office, social-employment skills training program, and an integrated assessment clinic
-I also did two years of an interdisciplinary clinical training program in my PhD program that took us into a rotation of medical clinics
-My clinical work in my postdoc is in supported education for college students with SPMI

Service:
-I've been on a couple of national, APA committees and an APA division committee
-I served on a couple of university committees in grad school
-I was a consulting editor/peer reviewer for a school psych/SPED encyclopedia
-I've reviewed for a lot of medical and psych journals and some conferences


So, very much not a traditional clinical/counseling psych applicant and wondering how to frame this all.

Advice is very much appreciated!

Members don't see this ad.
 
I'd make absolutely certain there aren't any options besides a second PhD before venturing down that path. It seems like overkill. Are you setting your goals too high? (i.e. Harvard or bust?). You can slide down the "research" scale a bit and be just fine if you don't mind a bit more teaching and your research isn't super-crazy-resource-intense (i.e. 7t human MRI and genetic equipment available in only a handful of labs around the world). Consider interdisciplinary departments if your research program fits and look into other departments. Schools of education might be an OK fit with that background and the right one can be fairly research-intensive. Public health is more research-y and could definitely fit. Likely other options too.

Are you open to AMCs/soft-money? Your funding background is a relative weak-spot for someone with a post-doc. Many people on the faculty job market at that level will have NIH or equivalent level funding as PI. Many grad students have significantly more than that. Overall your CV sounds incredible, just trying to pick out anything that might be able to be shored up. If you go for AMCs, its pretty much necessary to walk in with a K or R unless you want a primarily clinical position.

Do you need lots of collaborators or are you comfortable as a bit of an island? One of those departments you mention with "less" research but looking to build up the research might be happy to have someone like you.

Are you getting interviews? How many applications and how many interviews? Have you thoroughly checked your CV/application for red flags or major issues that piss people off (counting published abstracts as papers, etc.). Do you have a clear research program for moving forward? If none of these seem like issues, I wonder if you may actually be in "overqualified" territory. Never heard of it in academia, but 50+ publications is enough that my first reaction when I saw it would likely be suspicion. Only people I've seen with that number were those who had ~10 years as an RA before starting grad school.

Is this who I think it is? PM me if so, happy to talk more. Actually, happy to speak more either way. It would take a lot for me to recommend a second PhD. I wouldn't jump to that yet. Remember that it is common for folks in basic sciences to do 5+ years of post-doc. Not that I'm recommending it, but just to say that 1-2 years out without a faculty position isn't the end of the world.
 
Top