Path to becoming a psychotherapist

[Headless Stranger]

Hi,

I am currently planning my career with the final end goal of becoming a licensed psychotherapist. I'm planning to get my ADN and becoming a registered nurse. Then work for a year, get some experience and do travel nursing. I'm interested in majority of the nursing specialties, but mental health nursing seems the most attractive to me (comparing to other nursing specialties), so I'm probably going to pursue that. After that happens I have a couple choices:
ADN -> BSN -> Masters in Mental Health -> Mental Health Psychiatric NP, with eventually their own PP.
ADN -> BSN -> M in Psy -> PHD/PsyD
AND -> B in Psychology -> M in Psy -> PHD/PsyD
AND -> B in Psychology -> -> PHD/PsyD
Or some other way.

My biggest interest is probably clinical psychology.
What I want to do achieve ultimately is to do psychotherapy and psychedelic-assisted therapy. I want to work with people and try and solve their problems in life, not just prescribe and monitor how the drug takes effect.
I know that a MHPNP makes more money, but how much psychotherapy do they give? How much freedom do they have? What kind of patients do they have?
I would like to do research one day, but it is not necessary.
I love the psychoanalytic model by Jung, psycho-somatic therapy model like Somatic Experiencing and IFS. I thought perhaps during my nursing experience I could learn about SE and maybe help patients using that (if allowed).

What do y'all think? What seems like the best and possible path for me to take?

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[singasongofjoy]

I think that given the long path before you get to that point, you'll encounter a billion other interesting things and opportunities that might also pique your interest. I suggest getting started in the general direction, be a genial and curious person who makes connections with people you encounter along the way that do things you find interesting and talk to them, learn more, encounter opportunities on those paths - and don't start worrying about the specifics of the path until you get to the master's level at minimum. Any of those paths can lead you there if you keep your grades up and pursue opportunities as they arise that seem related to your interests.

 

[chicandtoughness]

PMHNP's are poorly trained. (Sorry, I said it.) Yes, they make more money but most of their job will be med management, not psychotherapy. I guess you could start your own private practice providing both, but anyone who is going to search for a therapist on a site like PsychToday is going to be looking for licensed therapists/counselors (LPC, LMFT, LMHC, LCSW, etc.) not a PMHNP.

If you know for sure that your end goal/interest is providing psychotherapy, why are you doing the nursing path? Go from your ADN to a bachelor's (doesn't matter which) to masters in mental health and end it there. (No need to do the doctorate unless you want to add on assessments, research, teaching, etc.) You can provide better psychotherapy as a properly trained masters in mental health/counseling/social work than a PMHNP.

UNLESS you are dead set on prescribing, then that's a different question altogether.

If you like analytical psychology (that's what the Jungians like to call it, to distinguish from psychoanalysis a la Freud), SE, and IFS, then you will find the masters in mental health pathway will suit you best. You can always go on to get further training in Jungian analysis at a separate institute (analysis training is separate from universities). Nursing education simply will not have the resources to teach you these things; and if you go to weekend workshops or certificate programs in these areas, they will expect that you are a trained mental health practitioner (to understand the terminology and basic principles that these advanced techniques build on), not a nurse.

 

[lily_pad]

Like user above, I’m also not clear why you plan to take the nursing path exactly. I think a much more clear cut path would be to do an MSW and then pursue postgrad training at a psychoanalytic institute as well as a certificate program in psychedelic assisted therapy (there are many places cropping up now where you can do extensive psychedelic training).