Need guidance in deciding what to pursue after I graduate from college

[undecided8080]

Hello all,

I am a senior college student majoring in psychology and hope to graduate next semester with a B.A in psychology. It's been a professional goal of mine to become a licensed professional in providing counseling and helping others. I've long explored different paths to take post-graduation, but am still unsure as to which to take. I'm interested in getting a Master's in either Marriage/Family therapy OR counseling psychology. That's the only definitive decision I've made so far. Whether or not I should further advance my education is the real question. Opening a private practice isn't really a goal of mine, but I suppose that's something to consider once I'm actually down that road. Either way, I'd prefer working at a hospital or in any other setting.

The clinical/counseling Psy.D program is appealing to me because of the primary focus on clinical work and less on research. But, if I choose to apply to a Psy.D program, I am more likely to rely on loans and other forms of financial aid. In addition, the thought of investing my time, money, and mental energy for 5-8 years is really intimidating and I feel like I could still help people without a doctorate degree.

On the other hand, what are the chances of landing a job after getting a Master's in my desired field? So say I take the MFT route. Someone with a doctorate degree in clinical or counseling psychology might appear more favorable because of their experience, not to mention that a psychologist can treat anyone and specialize in MFT as well. The same applies if I decide to get a master's in counseling psychology.

To summarize, I don't know whether to work towards a Psy.D degree, or just stop at getting a Master's in counseling psychology. It's an important decision that I've been putting off because it's a little overwhelming to think about and some help/advice would be very much appreciated. Having a clear, set plan on how I plan on spending the next year or two would ease my mind tremendously. P.S I live in the Chicago area.

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[WisNeuro]

Hello all,

I am a senior college student majoring in psychology and hope to graduate next semester with a B.A in psychology. It's been a professional goal of mine to become a licensed professional in providing counseling and helping others. I've long explored different paths to take post-graduation, but am still unsure as to which to take. I'm interested in getting a Master's in either Marriage/Family therapy OR counseling psychology. That's the only definitive decision I've made so far. Whether or not I should further advance my education is the real question. Opening a private practice isn't really a goal of mine, but I suppose that's something to consider once I'm actually down that road. Either way, I'd prefer working at a hospital or in any other setting.

The clinical/counseling Psy.D program is appealing to me because of the primary focus on clinical work and less on research. But, if I choose to apply to a Psy.D program, I am more likely to rely on loans and other forms of financial aid. In addition, the thought of investing my time, money, and mental energy for 5-8 years is really intimidating and I feel like I could still help people without a doctorate degree.

On the other hand, what are the chances of landing a job after getting a Master's in my desired field? So say I take the MFT route. Someone with a doctorate degree in clinical or counseling psychology might appear more favorable because of their experience, not to mention that a psychologist can treat anyone and specialize in MFT as well. The same applies if I decide to get a master's in counseling psychology.

To summarize, I don't know whether to work towards a Psy.D degree, or just stop at getting a Master's in counseling psychology. It's an important decision that I've been putting off because it's a little overwhelming to think about and some help/advice would be very much appreciated. Having a clear, set plan on how I plan on spending the next year or two would ease my mind tremendously. P.S I live in the Chicago area.

I'd suggest reading some of the countless threads that ask this same question. First, reputable PsyDs out as much emphasis on research as balanced clinical programs, so I wouldn't limit yourself to just that. As to another point, in some places, you'll actually have an easier time getting a job as a midlevel than a doctoral level provider. You'll make less, but the jobs are plentiful. Many organizations hire pretty much only midlevels to provide therapy, so if that's what you want to do, I'd look at the social work route.

 

[foreverbull]

I'd suggest reading some of the countless threads that ask this same question....As to another point, in some places, you'll actually have an easier time getting a job as a midlevel than a doctoral level provider. You'll make less, but the jobs are plentiful. Many organizations hire pretty much only midlevels to provide therapy, so if that's what you want to do, I'd look at the social work route.

I agree. Midlevel therapist jobs are more often in supply because you can pay MFTs and counselors less than psychologists. And you can still do private practice if that’s what you’d like someday. If you don’t want to be limited to one state, you’ll want an MSW with clinical emphasis. If you are 100% certain you’ll never practice in another state, an MFT or MA in counseling would be sufficient (licensing requirements vary state to state with these degrees, so they’re not easily transferable).

Keep in mind, with all degrees you’ll need supervised practice (a certain number of hours) after you graduate in order to get your license. In some states or areas, there are so many master’s programs that this ends up being very competitive and underpaid or even unpaid experience (many folks complain about Chicago, for example). I’d do some research and/or find practitioners in your preferred area in the master’s forum or elsewhere to see what the job market is like in terms of being supervised while earning your licensure hours. It’s going to be underpaid already because you’re pre-licensed, but you should always be paid for your work after you get your degree.