Thank you for your input! Another thing I am trying to figure out is whether to go for a psyd or a mcsw, so I guess this begins to answer that question. I absolutely appreciate the need for research, and i know it is very important in this field. I have had experience with it in my classes, as well as doing research with a professor and currently working on my senior thesis (about domestic violence). Although I don't mind doing it and I think I could handle doing more research in the future, I guess my point is that I don't plan on doing it after I'd finish grad school (beyond the need for information as a therapist).
Still, I want to be more informed about all my options & the process before reaching an absolute decision, so my original questions still stand.
The answer really depends on what you want to do for a career. If you are happy just doing therapy, you do not need a doctorate in clinical psychology to do so. A doctoral degree in clinical counseling or school psych will allow you to both therapy and testing. If you want to do testing then a doctoral degree in psychology is required.
When applying to graduate school in clinical psychology, I was faced with rejections, multiple rejections. Clinical pscyhology is competitive and not all applicants gain admission to a program. So, I did so much research on how I can achieve my career goals if clinical psychology didn't work out. This is how I know so much about different paths to a mental health career. I am happy to offer feedback because I was up the river without a paddle when i got rejected from clinical psyc and i wish someone had told me all my options.
So, if all you want to do is therapy, any orientation, you can get a masters degree in any of the folowing mental health fields: social work, clinical psychology, counseling psychology, counseling and all its derivatives (e.g. mental health counseling, rehab, school counseling), school psychology, and marriage an family therapy. My advice on which field to choose depends on your state. In my state in the Southeast Appalachia, social workers are the only masters level practitioners that can practice therapy independently without supervision (e.g. someone who meets with them weely to talk about cases and signs case notes). Ths is why I got an MSW. Social workers are eligible for independent practice in 48 states. I can practice independently without supervision with the same autonomy as a psychologist doing therapy as an LICSW. If you choose social work, be careful about which programs you choose. Choose a clinical social work program that focuses on training therapists. A generalist social work program will not give you enough therapy exposure in the classroom to produce a competent therapist; you will be taking courses in crap that have nothing to do with therapy. I graduated from a generalist social work program and althought I am eligible for licensure, that program did not prepare me well. Other states have licensure for Licensed mental health counselors (LMHC) and marriage and family therapists (LMFT) which can also practice independently. LMHCs have degrees in counseling, counseling psych and clinical psyc. My state does not have these licensures. Licensed professional counselors (LPC) cannot practice independently in my state (and I think in most states but I am not sure). If you like working with children and don't mind your practice being linited to the school system, then school pscyhology is an option to do testing and therapy in the schools.
If you want to do testing and therapy independently in private practice or outside the schools, a doctoral degree in clinical, counseling or school psychology is required. In my state, a person with a doctorate (phD or psyD) in clinical, counseling, or school psychology can be licesned as a psychologist in independent practice. Whether you choose PhD or PsyD depends on your goals. You sound like you would be a better fit for a PsyD program, although many PhD graduates go on to practice as opposed to research. PhD programs are competitve and PsyD programs are also becoming more competitve. If you decide to do a PhD, you need very good GRE scores (600 or higher in each subsection), high GPA, extensive research expereince, and even publications nowadays; also think about how your research interests fit with factuly research interests at the schools you apply to. if you decide to go PsyD, make sure you go to a University based PsyD program such as: Baylor, Rutgers, Marshall, Pepperdine, IUP, Wright State, Xavier, Indiana State, Immaculata, Pacific U, and there are some others. Avoid professional schools such as Argosy, Adler, Alliant, and Forest Insitiute. Professional schools take too many students (e.g. 80 to 100) and they do not have much respect among internship training sites. Not all gradautes from professional schools fare poorly. There are some that do well, but they have to continually prove themselves. If you want more financial support, better supervision, and more respect among other professionals, go to a university based PsyD program. If clinical psych or counseling psych does not work out, try for school psyc. It is less competitve and can reach the same end 9in my state at least). Hope this helps. Good luck.
