Regretting my Clinical Psych Ph.D.

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Well, with no actual work experience with your phd yet, you are unlikely to be able to stretch or sell your psych phd to/in a more non traditional, yet still psych related, venture/position.

You can always do a variety of other things, but are likely to be "underemployed" while you climb your way up.

What is it that you feel so behind on, and why? Have others noticed and agreed? What have YOU done to attempt remediation?
 
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I'm four months away from completing my degree, and I think I've come to the decision that I am pretty unhappy, and not very good at my job. I completed a terminal masters before I started my Ph.D., and left my masters program feeling very excited about the field, feeling as if I had found the perfect career, and feeling very well trained. However, I am coming to realize my doctoral program did not prepare me well, and as a result, I do not feel well trained or up to par with some of my colleagues. I find myself very, very disillusioned, and I am desperately regretting choosing this field.

Can you share a little bit more about what specifically you are regretting and why you don't feel like you are good at your job? What drew you into wanting to complete a PhD originally, and what caused you to become so disillusioned. I wish I had some advice for you, but maybe your experience can help prospective applicants. Thanks.
 
Since you are a few months from completing your degree, I am assuming you are in the middle of your internship year? That could be part of the problem. This job can kick your butt emotionally at times and I still have days where I feel completely lost, overwhelmed, under-qualified, and just generally all-around not-good-enough. Remember we aren't serving burgers here. People's lives can depend on what we do or don't do and the judgements that we make. Sometimes I listen to this song and it helps.
 
It's normal to have doubts, and I'm sure many of us at some point questioned our choice to become psychologists. The best time to act on those questions or doubts is when you're still in training and have access to supervisors, mentors, and peers who can help. You might feel the urge to withdraw from these people. My advice is to do the very opposite.
 
I am getting close to finishing my 2-year post doc and I did not feel competent in clinical work till now. Thought I have felt confident in my research abilities (even if the journals don't love my output) before post doc.

Getting the doctorate is just a step, you have plenty more learning to do. And as mentioned, I would never use my internship experience as a predictor of my abilities. For me, internship was an education in how not to provide clinical services or train students.
 
I am getting close to finishing my 2-year post doc and I did not feel competent in clinical work till now. Thought I have felt confident in my research abilities (even if the journals don't love my output) before post doc.

Getting the doctorate is just a step, you have plenty more learning to do. And as mentioned, I would never use my internship experience as a predictor of my abilities. For me, internship was an education in how not to provide clinical services or train students.

I was going to say something very similar to this. School, at least for psychology, doesn't really prepare you for a job. It gives you the skills and the foundation that you need to be able to learn how to do your job, but you don't learn how to be a therapist in a classroom. I would estimate about 95% of the skills I use for my job, I learned on the job
 
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