I'm switching careers but from a related field--advice?

[careerswitcher234]

I just turned 30, so I would be a non-trad student. I have a masters and doctorate in counselor education, but I'm realizing more and more that I really want to be a psychologist and find the limitations of this degree stifling. I earned a masters in counseling/educational psych (licensable) and was moved along the counseling ed path, but I loved integrated assessment in my masters program and really miss it. In all of my interactions in research, clinical work, teaching, etc., I find myself interacting with the psychologists and feeling stifled and frustrated by my degree and by the counseling field as a whole. My background:

Research:
-50+ peer reviewed publications, would like be 60+ by the time I apply (about half first author). Mostly on my areas of interest, which are very clinical, with a few from grad school on ABA. Many are in psych journals, including several APA journals
-Lots of conference presentations/posters, including an invited national presentation at a psych conference
-One edited book with a major academic publisher and another one under contract with the same publisher
-A few chapters in edited books (mine and others)
-Some internal grants ($500-$7000) as PI, a foundation grant ($20,000) as co-PI, a smaller but named role on a large ($1 million+) federal grant
-Some research awards as a PhD student from an APA division
-Lots of ad hoc reviewing
-Guest editing a special issue for an APA journal this summer

Clinical:
-Two years in autism, psychoed assessment with a clinic, including one year as case manager (wrote the integrated reports--could do this because of my background in educational psych)
-A year working an supported ed program for young adults with SPMI, including both clinical work and program development and eval
-A year long internship working with college students with disabilities
-A practicum doing child and family therapy
-A practicum doing early academic intervention
-Two years facilitating psychoeducation groups in a program for college students with substance use issues

Teaching:
-Year as a visiting assistant professor, teaching a 3/3/3 load of masters-level classes
-Some additional adjunct teaching for my PhD department after graduating (masters-level)
-Taught two masters-level classes independently as a PhD student and one undergrad class
-Taught a freshman seminar independently
-Taught a career development/internship seminar independently for undergrad psych students for 2 years
-Experience supervising masters students in internship and practicum
-Various TAing

Awards/service:
-Various small scholarships, some reviewer recognition
-Grad fellowship/funding throughout both degrees
-Faculty scholarship as part of an overseas delegation from my VAP year (all expenses paid)
-Served on a couple of APA committees
-Department and university service

My question is how to frame my switch from counseling to psych? I have a lot of involvement in one APA division and can get strong recs from psychologists, I think.

Thanks!

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[careerswitcher234]

Your productivity for just turned 30 is really impressive.

It seems a shame to have to do another PhD to accomplish just being able to do clinical assessments. I'm not sure what the solution is here. What is counselor education?

Thanks. The work I want to do is in rehab (specifically VA), so it basically requires a doctorate. Counselor ed is what a PhD in MA counseling leads to, per CACREP.

 

[psychrat]

I just turned 30, so I would be a non-trad student. I have a masters and doctorate in counselor education, but I'm realizing more and more that I really want to be a psychologist and find the limitations of this degree stifling. I earned a masters in counseling/educational psych (licensable) and was moved along the counseling ed path, but I loved integrated assessment in my masters program and really miss it. In all of my interactions in research, clinical work, teaching, etc., I find myself interacting with the psychologists and feeling stifled and frustrated by my degree and by the counseling field as a whole. My background:

Research:
-50+ peer reviewed publications, would like be 60+ by the time I apply (about half first author). Mostly on my areas of interest, which are very clinical, with a few from grad school on ABA. Many are in psych journals, including several APA journals
-Lots of conference presentations/posters, including an invited national presentation at a psych conference
-One edited book with a major academic publisher and another one under contract with the same publisher
-A few chapters in edited books (mine and others)
-Some internal grants ($500-$7000) as PI, a foundation grant ($20,000) as co-PI, a smaller but named role on a large ($1 million+) federal grant
-Some research awards as a PhD student from an APA division
-Lots of ad hoc reviewing
-Guest editing a special issue for an APA journal this summer

Clinical:
-Two years in autism, psychoed assessment with a clinic, including one year as case manager (wrote the integrated reports--could do this because of my background in educational psych)
-A year working an supported ed program for young adults with SPMI, including both clinical work and program development and eval
-A year long internship working with college students with disabilities
-A practicum doing child and family therapy
-A practicum doing early academic intervention
-Two years facilitating psychoeducation groups in a program for college students with substance use issues

Teaching:
-Year as a visiting assistant professor, teaching a 3/3/3 load of masters-level classes
-Some additional adjunct teaching for my PhD department after graduating (masters-level)
-Taught two masters-level classes independently as a PhD student and one undergrad class
-Taught a freshman seminar independently
-Taught a career development/internship seminar independently for undergrad psych students for 2 years
-Experience supervising masters students in internship and practicum
-Various TAing

Awards/service:
-Various small scholarships, some reviewer recognition
-Grad fellowship/funding throughout both degrees
-Faculty scholarship as part of an overseas delegation from my VAP year (all expenses paid)
-Served on a couple of APA committees
-Department and university service

My question is how to frame my switch from counseling to psych? I have a lot of involvement in one APA division and can get strong recs from psychologists, I think.

Thanks!

Have you looked into any type of re-specialization program?

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I would think, given the strength of your accomplishments so far, the framing of your desire to switch may not be that difficult--you've identified why you want the new doctorate and what your goals with it would be, which is what I'd try to convey to admissions folks. You just may want to also remain open-minded in this respect, as while you ideally want to work in rehab, you may find other interests along the way.

However, I agree with the others that you might also consider looking into respecialization programs. The stipulation would be needing to secure an APA-accredited internship (or a newer VA internship that's not yet accredited but is in good standing with OAA).

 

[MAClinician]

Doesn't a person need to have a doctorate in psychology in order to be admitted to a respecialization program? OP has a PhD in Counselor Education. The focus is on teaching and supervision of masters level counselors. Programs are generally housed in a School of Education (or similar).

 

[careerswitcher234]

Yep, @MAClinician hit the nail on the head with regards to respecialization programs--they require a PhD in psychology, which mine is not.

 

[mypointlesspov]

I don't have any advice, but I just want to say that you have a killer list of accomplishments. You're amazing!

 

[smalltownpsych]

I'm still a bit confused as to what the added benefit would be to spend 5 or 6 more years to become a psychologist. Especially since you would be giving up your current career and income for that period of time. What do you want to do as a psychologist that you can't do as a counselor? As other poster said, being able to conduct assessments alone just doesn't seem sufficient.