Non-CACREP accredited LMHC program?

[Psychstudent!721]

I have recently been accepted by a clinical MHC program accredited by the MPCAC. It is a CUNY school and is eligible for licensure in the state of NY as it meets the educational requirements for licensure. I know I eventually want to move out of state and practice. I have been told by faculty and other LMHCs that while CACREP accreditation is ideal it’s not technically everything. Often other states will require a review of coursework if the program was not CACREP accredited. While my program all of the same
Course work, semester hour requirements, and clinical hour requirements of CACREP programs it is housed in a psychology department with psychologists AND counselors. I was told not to discount the program just because it is not CACREP accredited. Should this really be a deal breaker?

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[foreverbull]

https://www.cacrep.org/for-students/student-faqs-2/#FAQ35

Different stares have different requirements around graduate training, so you will have to look into the state licensing board of the state you plan to practice to know whether CACREP accreditation is required.

There is no equivalency between states in licensing at this level regardless of accreditation status, but I can’t imagine that going to a non-cacrep program wouldn’t make it harder to get licensed in some states. It’s a gamble, but like I said, you’ll have to check each state’s licensure/state board website to know for sure.

I would discourage anyone who plans to switch states from even getting an MA in counseling, etc. and pursue an MSW with clinical emphasis instead because there is equivalency in social work licensure between states so it’s a much easier transfer process (and MSW’s can practice psychotherapy just like MA’s/MFT’s). Especially if not planning to pursue a doctorate. I talked to the department head in a counseling program before I applied to a master’s program, and when I told him I planned to move to another state and practice, he strongly discouraged me from the MA program for the same reason I mentioned before.

 

[Psychstudent!721]

Thank you for the input, I have spoken to my program and they explained the same thing. They have several students who have gained licensure in the states I would like to move to in the distant future. I had been accepted to an MSW program in the past but had decided against it for personal reasons. It is funny that you mentioned a doctorate degree as I plan on pursuing a PsyD after completing my program. I had been accepted to a MA in psych program and a clinical mental health program. I believe the clinical mental health program would be the best to help my chances for admission to a PsyD program due to the applied coursework and clinical internships. I appreciate your response btw!

 

[foreverbull]

In that case, depending on the competitiveness of the PsyD program, you’re probably fine regardless of what master’s degree you pursue, as long as it’s related to mental health or psychology—but ONLY if you’re completely set on a PsyD. Acceptance rates of PsyD programs are much higher than PhD programs (PsyDs allow a lot more students in), but at the cost of extremely high tuition/lack of funding and somewhat poorer training outcomes, depending on the program. Ultimately I’d encourage that you pursue a PhD for those reasons if you’re set on a doctorate, but you’d have to work harder to make yourself competitive (via engaging in research at the master’s level). Just my two cents. Of course you could share why specifically you want a doctorate for my advice to be more tailored to what you’re hoping to achieve, but these are my initial thoughts.

 

[Psychstudent!721]

I hope to go the PsyD route because I’m more interested in clinics work than research. Im aware that PhDs do clinical work but many programs focus heavily on research. I’m not adverse to research, I just don’t want it to be the main scope of what I’m expected to do. From some research I’ve noticed that counseling PhDs and PsyDs (a lot of them) either require or strongly suggest a masters in a field of counseling such as mental health or social work. Many of my professors advised me not to spend high tuition on a masters just because it gives me a thesis option. I was advised to do a program that leads to licensure and seek research opportunities out on the side (I’m in the CUNY system, I was told there would be many). Quite a few professors who recently earned their PhD also explained that there are many programs both PhD and PsyD who won’t penalize students for lacking research granted they are strong in other areas such as academic and clinical work and openly express Interest in their statement of purpose (although it certainly helps). My main goal is clinical work at the doctoral level, which is why I am aiming at the PsyD

 

[foreverbull]

I hear you, but the majority of PhDs end up practicing. It’s a myth that the PhD is primarily focused on research; most programs are scientist-practitioner so they’re usually split evenly between research and practice, and may allow broader career options than a PsyD. I felt the same way as you before grad school but ended up interviewing for a PhD program and realized that it was a great fit, even with a research component. It also paid for a large proportion of my education and I worked closely with faculty and had one-on-one mentoring instead of large cohorts with faculty who have many advisees. Most PsyD programs have large cohorts such as 30+ versus around 4-7 in a PhD program, which can lead to problems with faculty getting overwhelmed having to read so many dissertations at one time, etc. For example, my PsyD colleague’s graduation date was pushed back because her adviser ignored her dissertation-related emails for over 6 months (this level of poor behavior on the part of faculty will vary by individual program, to be fair). Being half across the country on internship, there was little she could do at the time. That meant another full year of paying expensive tuition because her advisor ignored her attempts to contact her to get her dissertation project started.
Some counseling PhD programs will look upon clinical experience favorably, but you’ll need research experience anyway; I would strongly discourage applying to any PhD program without research experience regardless of whether it’s clinical or counseling given how competitive it is to get in.
It’s definitely risky to rely on finding your own research opportunities outside of a master’s program while attending the master’s program full-time than to pursue a master’s degree with research included as a requirement or expectation (and working with faculty who are involved in research). But if that’s what you’re set on, you are free to do so. I just want to make sure you’re not making a decision based on misinformation, because I heard the same thing but wasn’t until much later when I worked with PsyD colleagues, saw the numbers about training outcomes, and got through my program that I realized how much misinformation is out there and what the true differences were.

 

[Psychstudent!721]

Do you believe I would be better off doing a MA in psych rather than a MHC? I’m hesitant because my program also allows me to obtain a certificate in autism treatment and I want to work heavily in the special needs field.

 

[foreverbull]

Does the MA in psych offer research opportunities but no path to licensure at the master’s level? I’m curious as to what the focus is.
MHC with experience working with autism could be helpful for you personally if that is your interest area, but still lacks the research component, so you’d still be on your own having to figure that out. Not impossible, but much harder than when it’s built into your institution/program.

 

[Psychstudent!721]

The MA has a thesis option available but no concentration, it is just a genre psych program. The MHC is a clinical focused program that offers certificates in autism. I understand the research issue but i am i sure about the MA because even though the research is without a doubt valuable if I dont get accepted to a doctorate program the MA is rather useless. I’ve spoken to a few PsyD programs and a few PhD counseling programs and they said that research is helpful but is not the most important. The counseling programs require either an MSW or MHC degree that comes with internship and practicum. It seems that both programs offer valuable experience. I’m just having a difficult time seeing which path is most beneficial.

 

[MAClinician]

Are those PhD programs in Counseling Psychology or Counselor Education? I know the Counselor Ed Doctoral programs require MHC masters first. But not all Counseling psych programs require a masters. And some people get confused between the two (not saying you are, just want to clarify).

 

[Psychstudent!721]

Are those PhD programs in Counseling Psychology or Counselor Education? I know the Counselor Ed Doctoral programs require MHC masters first. But not all Counseling psych programs require a masters. And some people get confused between the two (not saying you are, just want to clarify).

They’re counseling psychology. All APA accredited. Not all require the masters but a lot do. I’m just having a difficult time choosing the path that will be best for the long run. I’m well aware that many people who are far more competitive than me don’t get into doctorate programs, I dont want to have a useless MA. The way I see it I am able to be a psychotherapist and gain licensure with the Clinical Mental Health Program