How to go to a non-accredited school without getting screwed

[deleted861354]

Hello. I'm in the LA area and am going to apply to LPC/MFT programs next year. As you know, LA traffic is nuts, so ideally I'd like to go somewhere within a 75 min drive. However, my options are limited to just 2-3 programs, if I go the accredited route. I'd like to consider some non-accredited programs at legit schools (e.g. UCLA, CSU-LA, etc - no non-accredited programs at West Podunk Online of LA County; but I also don't want to get screwed and not be able to take the licensing exam after I've put in my hours and graduated. What's the best way to navigate this? Are there any foolproof plans if I put in enough legwork?

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[pediatric_psydoc]

I know that as a psychologist, licensing would have taken a lot longer and may not have been granted had I not attended an APA accredited program. If you are able to “check that box” (so to speak), they only need your transcripts and confirmation that your program was accredited at the time of your graduation. If not, they comb through your classes and often need syllabi to determine if your courses met the standard for licensure.

I have found that for jobs, every job I have considered also states that it requires completion of a degree from an APA accredited program (and often an APA accredited internship) or else they do not consider your application.

In your shoes, I would sacrifice the commute and discomfort for the peace of mind that my licensure would not be impacted before I even begin my schooling. I realize LPC is different but licensure standards are similar, to my understanding. Best of luck to you. Let me know if you have other questions.

 

[deleted861354]

Thank you, Sabine.

 

[MAClinician]

LA is already over saturated with mental health providers at both the masters and doctoral level. So I’m unclear why you would want to shoot yourself in the foot BEFORE you even start in the field by going to something non-accredited? Even if your goal is a cash only private practice, you will need to work somewhere for 2+ years to get the hours to accrue towards licensure. Who is going to take a chance on someone with a non-accredited degree when they have thousands else to pick from?? There are no shortcuts in this field.

 

[damon30]

Echoing what @MAClinian said, Los Angeles is incredibly saturated with mental health providers. The Bay Area is actually a reasonable area but is beginning to end up the same way (tech professionals seeking mental health services). Are you set on being in SoCal? Because if not there are great areas in NorCal and more northern areas of the West Coast that need more professionals.

 

[deleted861354]

Ok, well I'm certainly convinced now that accreditation is the way to go.

I am wondering what your evidence is for oversaturation of practitioners in LA vs. the Bay Area? I'm not disputing it, I just don't even know how I would assess that. I went though literally 10 therapists before I found my current, excellent therapist; perhaps LA is oversaturated with practitioners . . . but not good ones? My wife had the same experience when we lived in NYC - another place with a therapist on every street corner, but it took 4-5 tries for her to find someone good. Are you / people you know having difficulty filling their practices with cash clients in LA and/or having an easier time in NorCal?

 

[foreverbull]

Ok, well I'm certainly convinced now that accreditation is the way to go.

I am wondering what your evidence is for oversaturation of practitioners in LA vs. the Bay Area? I'm not disputing it, I just don't even know how I would assess that. I went though literally 10 therapists before I found my current, excellent therapist; perhaps LA is oversaturated with practitioners . . . but not good ones? My wife had the same experience when we lived in NYC - another place with a therapist on every street corner, but it took 4-5 tries for her to find someone good. Are you / people you know having difficulty filling their practices with cash clients in LA and/or having an easier time in NorCal?

I’m from the Bay Area and we’re pretty saturated ourselves; I don’t think there’s much of a difference between LA and SF. Part of it is the many grad programs in the area graduating MFTs and SW folks in both of these areas, AND many doctoral level programs in the area, so a lot of competition for similar jobs if practicing therapy is the goal.

I’m in private practice with a doctorate and cash only, and it has been a pretty slow build up for the past 2 years (I don’t do this full time though, so I reached my capacity). It depends on the neighborhood, but if you are a generalist and don’t have a niche (or your niche is working with populations that tend to have lower income), it can definitely be tough to compete with those taking insurance. Also, MFTs charge the same cash rate i do, but I can’t charge more because my area is solidly middle class. For every psychologist in an area, there seem to be 15-20 MFTs doing therapy as well.

A colleague who is a psychologist and takes insurance also doesn’t make as much money as she’d hoped despite a loaded schedule because of cost-of-living and low reimbursement.

I know it’s a little ahead of where you are, but I think it would have been helpful to know these things earlier on. And yes, there is a bell curve/spectrum of effectiveness with a lot of average/mediocre therapists in any area, and a smaller percentage who are terrible or amazing.

Final point: in a saturated market like this, don’t give employers or clients any reason to doubt your experience/education.

 

[deleted861354]

This is a really helpful and thoughtful response, thank you.

In this case, I'll then take the opportunity to ask another question: how much do patients care where you went to school? I went to elite undergrad and graduate institutions (latter for a Ph.D. where I left before completing my dissertation; got a terminal masters there), and, as a result of this thread, will go to an accredited LPC or MFT program. But I'm anticipating the LPC/MFT program will be relatively no-name. How much do patients care about this sort of thing - both that my undergrad and grad were elite (but social science, not psychology-related) and my clinical training will be no-name (though accredited)?

 

[foreverbull]

Clients generally won't care. I would say elite vs. non-elite doesn't matter, ultimately. It's more of a problem if they recognize the name of the grad program because it's an online school or if potential employers start asking questions about your grad program because they question its legitimacy (if it's an online/unaccredited school). Private practitioners list their degrees online on psychology today profiles or business websites, typically. Almost no clients have asked about my education except those few who see my diploma expressing curiosity that my doctorate is from a school from outside of California.

 

[pediatric_psydoc]

This is a really helpful and thoughtful response, thank you.

In this case, I'll then take the opportunity to ask another question: how much do patients care where you went to school? I went to elite undergrad and graduate institutions (latter for a Ph.D. where I left before completing my dissertation; got a terminal masters there), and, as a result of this thread, will go to an accredited LPC or MFT program. But I'm anticipating the LPC/MFT program will be relatively no-name. How much do patients care about this sort of thing - both that my undergrad and grad were elite (but social science, not psychology-related) and my clinical training will be no-name (though accredited)?

I’m in pediatrics and I would say about 10-20% of parents have asked me where I went to school. When I tell them, they don’t remark on the school but more so on the location and how it is a place most of them have vacationed. Some of the kids have even asked me where I went to school but that has only happened once or twice and they were children who had very high IQs (that is, in the gifted program at their school).

 

[R. Matey]

in a saturated market like this, don’t give employers or clients any reason to doubt your experience/education.

Seconded. I lived in a pretty saturated city with an LPC for a number of years before going back for a Ph.D., and you want to be sure that you have a solid niche AND are in a position where no one is going to question your credibility.