Michael W
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- Apr 22, 2023
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Hi everyone! I am hoping to transition into a career in psychology from my current job in humanities academia, and I have some questions about the feasibility of this and how to pursue it in a strategic way.
Here's some brief context on my background:
I got a fully-funded Ph.D. in literature from a top university 7 years ago and have worked at some prestigious (Ivy League and Big 10) universities, but always in non-tenure-track roles. I've also worked in special education and educational consulting for students with autism and other learning disabilities, as well as mental health issues. I've taken the prerequisite undergrad psych classes and have done published, peer-reviewed research in literature, but I have no psychology research experience--and probably no way to get any while working full-time at my current job. That being said, I have always been fascinated by psychology and driven by the desire to understand and help people-- especially children/youth. And I'd prefer to become a psychologist, rather than a LMHC, due to the deeper intellectual background and much higher income potential, even if it takes a couple more years.
And here's some brief context on why I want to do this at this point in my life:
I now have a more stable academic job, but it's in a location (small town, upper Midwest) that really doesn't work for me, for a couple of reasons. First, as an LGBT/gender non-conforming person, I find it isolating and uncomfortable to live in a very conservative town. Secondly, I have an autoimmune disease that is much more disabling in certain (cold, wet) climates. I want to enter a field where I can choose the state where I live, so that I can end up somewhere warm and feel less sick and more able-bodied. But I also want to draw upon my skills and interests, which are closely linked to psychology. That's why I'm thinking of Psy.D. programs in warm climates: FL, AZ, or southern CA.
And here's the problem/question:
Based on reading this forum, it seems that any geographically desirable Psy.D. program I might have a shot at getting into would be a) very expensive, and b) ill-regarded in the field. LMHC programs seem easier to get into(?) and seem to offer more location options-- but it also looks like this is a career path with quite a low salary, almost as low as humanities academia! So, dear experts: what path makes the most sense?:
a) try to get into a Psy.D. program at a sub-optimal university and work very hard to forge a successful path from within it
b) give up on the Psy.D. and try to get into LMHC programs instead
c) some third thing
Lastly, since all unfunded grad programs are super expensive, I should mention: I'm fortunate to have resources that make either path a) or b) a possibility, without loans. That being said, there are obvious/steep costs to not working while in a grad program, and I don't want to get ripped off by a diploma mill Psy.D. program that won't lead me to be able to get an APA-accredited internship afterwards.
Thank you for reading all this, and thanks in advance for your advice!
-Michael
Here's some brief context on my background:
I got a fully-funded Ph.D. in literature from a top university 7 years ago and have worked at some prestigious (Ivy League and Big 10) universities, but always in non-tenure-track roles. I've also worked in special education and educational consulting for students with autism and other learning disabilities, as well as mental health issues. I've taken the prerequisite undergrad psych classes and have done published, peer-reviewed research in literature, but I have no psychology research experience--and probably no way to get any while working full-time at my current job. That being said, I have always been fascinated by psychology and driven by the desire to understand and help people-- especially children/youth. And I'd prefer to become a psychologist, rather than a LMHC, due to the deeper intellectual background and much higher income potential, even if it takes a couple more years.
And here's some brief context on why I want to do this at this point in my life:
I now have a more stable academic job, but it's in a location (small town, upper Midwest) that really doesn't work for me, for a couple of reasons. First, as an LGBT/gender non-conforming person, I find it isolating and uncomfortable to live in a very conservative town. Secondly, I have an autoimmune disease that is much more disabling in certain (cold, wet) climates. I want to enter a field where I can choose the state where I live, so that I can end up somewhere warm and feel less sick and more able-bodied. But I also want to draw upon my skills and interests, which are closely linked to psychology. That's why I'm thinking of Psy.D. programs in warm climates: FL, AZ, or southern CA.
And here's the problem/question:
Based on reading this forum, it seems that any geographically desirable Psy.D. program I might have a shot at getting into would be a) very expensive, and b) ill-regarded in the field. LMHC programs seem easier to get into(?) and seem to offer more location options-- but it also looks like this is a career path with quite a low salary, almost as low as humanities academia! So, dear experts: what path makes the most sense?:
a) try to get into a Psy.D. program at a sub-optimal university and work very hard to forge a successful path from within it
b) give up on the Psy.D. and try to get into LMHC programs instead
c) some third thing
Lastly, since all unfunded grad programs are super expensive, I should mention: I'm fortunate to have resources that make either path a) or b) a possibility, without loans. That being said, there are obvious/steep costs to not working while in a grad program, and I don't want to get ripped off by a diploma mill Psy.D. program that won't lead me to be able to get an APA-accredited internship afterwards.
Thank you for reading all this, and thanks in advance for your advice!
-Michael