Best advice I got from a PsyD psychologist (and from a Master's level therapist) was: do the degree that gets you working with clients fastest unless you *know* you want to go into research. So Masters degree it is for me.
She is so right! I have enhanced my trainings with CAMFT trainings and other resources that I would not have been able to get through Grad school only such as EMDR and Greif specialist, and Gottman couples training. There are so many great trainings out there that are supplemental to Grad school, faster and A LOT LESS EXPENSIVE!
I worked in behavioral health as a behavior coach/case manager full-time through most of my grad program, and I think that was one of my best decisions. It allowed me to gain a lot of confidence in helping people with their mental health (where I just saw becoming a therapist as gaining more skills and allowing me to pivot my role), I gained familiarity with the systems in-place that impact people seeking treatment, and I got to apply what I was learning directly to the people I was already working with (not like doing therapy on them, but more like applying theoretical concepts and lenses). Doing this also really assured me that becoming a therapist was something that I wanted and would be good at!
For anybody in a similar place, going to grad school with a social work degree (typically 2 years after college, or one year accelerated program) you can become a LCSW and be able to practice therapy
This is SO helpful - and echoes things I’ve heard from a friend of mine who has a private practice. She went to school at night when we worked together in our 20s instead of going to school full time. The training tip is so so helpful
I wish I had focused on different research in grad school. I had no idea what specialty I was going to end up in. I focused a lot on kids and school based stuff because I thought I was going to do school adjustment counseling. I ended up specializing in autism and adhd and I researched neither in grad school. Also worked with kids at first but couldn’t handle all of the collaborative care so switched to adults only. I did focus on BPD even in undergrad and specialized in that too. I don’t regret much… just thinking I could handle being a therapist. Because I got very chronically ill trying, even when I cut my hours. Haven’t worked in a year and have no clue what to do now. I wish someone told me back in my internship that the burnout I felt was because I was autistic and can’t be working 1:1 with humans doing verbal speech, lights and noise.. oh well. I’m proud of the career I had regardless of how it ended up, and my grad program was rly great too. Sorry about your concussion that sounds scary. Hope you get some rest.
I am so sorry about your concussion! I hope you feel better very quickly!! I went to grad school probably just a little while before you (guessing based on your 20 year comment). I knew I wanted to do therapy, but wasn't exactly sure what path I wanted to take. I ended up getting out the phone book (Yes, I'm dating myself here) and just randomly started calling different therapists in my area... All specializations, psychologists, social workers, MFTs, etc. Almost 100% of them told me to go with the social work degree because I could still receive the clinical training and provide therapy, but it would give me far more job opportunities and settings to choose from. I ended up choosing the clinical social work route and found the advice to be correct. I've always found it interesting that even the psychologists I called said that, so apparently you're not alone in your thinking Marie. I do sometimes wonder if I would have enjoyed the testing piece with a psychology degree though.
Firstly I commend you for pushing through with such a fresh TBI! As someone who had one during the middle of my behavioral health training, so I understand exactly what you mean.. Other than that great video and thanks for the perspective!
Im going for my PhD similar to you I want more options when im out of school. Also the reason is financial. I want to be able to make the highest salary I can. I don’t want to have any barriers stopping me help provide for my family.
Thanks for this video!! Im a senior in undergrad about to complete my BS in psychology, clinical track. Im have applied for a couple of masters in counseling programs and I am started one next fall! Also it wasnt just your university with professors with doctorates, that's the norm in every single school lol. Nothing wrong with that
I resonate with this so much! So thank you. I too took the route of a BS instead of BA. In fact I went as far as getting fully involved with 3 different research projects during my undergraduate because I listened to advice from those around me. I look back now and think yes I learned some important things and made great connections but it wasn't what I ever really wanted to do. I was told by one professor by deciding on a therapy avenue it would ruin me. Boy did it rip at my soul at the time. Now I see it as his problem not my ruin. 🤷♀️
LCSW Illinois checking in, I know over a handful of people recently at the school I did my BSW and MSW at and things have changed so much since I graduated 2016 and… I’m not conviencdd it’s for the better. The part time stuff or full time feels rushed. They’re offering all of these like very short turnaround times of getting classes done and getting them done in like a month or two and allegedly you’re gonna do the whole class and that amount of time which does happen but according to the people that I talk to you, there’s like nothing happening in the classes or it’s not that hard. There’s a lot of new grads coming out just a disaster and not prepared for the field, but also assuming that they can just walk into a private practice get paid what people have been a clinical when they’re only pulmonary licensed type cases and not be ready for the type of cases they’re gonna be given. We have a lot of group practices in the Chicago area that conglomerates that taken a ton of clinicians who used to be 1099, but our state changed that it has to be a W-2 if you’re now LPC and the amount of practices that just poach new grads because they can skim off the top of their profit or say they’re offering reduced fees to get more clients on the door, but do not go through the effort of getting these people trained is crazy. I would know, I worked for one starting in grad school as a front desk and then did practice therapy there
Registered nurse here, I hope you got checked out. I'm assuming you did because you know you had a concussion. Thank you for this. I am doing a slow route to a master's in counseling. Providing therapy is a lifelong dream. Many people are doing the "Well don't you want to do_____?" Testing, research, you name it. People also suggested psychiatric APRN, "because the money is better" (in the short term) "and they can do therapy too." No, I want my training in therapy, not prescribing. I value the work done in those other roles, but I feel fortunate to be able to follow a passion- a luxury many people don't get.
Totally decided the same thing - Specialize after the fact. The small Masters program I'm in now is really focused on people doing their continuing ed after graduation. It is very chill. MCFT through CACREP.
Wow. LCSW/MSW here. Before getting my degree, every doctorate graduate student said "just get your Master's." My mentor said the same. And he is a PhD. For the same reasons.
I hear you on wishing that you chose a part-time option. I am currently a full-time masters student and am in the process of completing my internship hours at a community agency- it is overwhelming. At the same time, I have a good internship site, supervisor, and professors at school. Many of the classes are online which helps somewhat. With the flexibility in the school program, I am able to spread out my internship over three semesters (instead of 2) which allows for more time for school work. Whew!
We have a very non-traditional student base here in Alaska and part-time is very common. That said, the college’s messaging is still “faster Saves you money” but as an insider to the system I feel like that is motivated by attrition rate statistics.
I'm not sure how common part time is, but my school offers 3 tracks-accelerated in 18 months, standard in 2 yrs, 3 months, and part time in 3 years. The part time definitely seems the least popular based on my observations, but I never felt discouraged from doing it. The other school I applied to was very flexible and you could take a whole bunch of classes at a time or do it very slowly if you wanted.
I think I'd likely do my post-graduate hours as close to full time as I could (at which time I was paid, though not a lot, and no longer paying school tuition). But I believe the graduate practicum and internship could be completed part time as smoothly as the rest of training. I know this can vary though from state to state and program to program depending on requirements.
Best advice I got from a PsyD psychologist (and from a Master's level therapist) was: do the degree that gets you working with clients fastest unless you *know* you want to go into research. So Masters degree it is for me.
She is so right! I have enhanced my trainings with CAMFT trainings and other resources that I would not have been able to get through Grad school only such as EMDR and Greif specialist, and Gottman couples training. There are so many great trainings out there that are supplemental to Grad school, faster and A LOT LESS EXPENSIVE!
In my first semester of my master's in mental health counseling. Loving this channel. And thank you!!!
Same . Sooo many papers to write
Same same. CMHC with 3 classes down and 17 to go. Let's go!
I worked in behavioral health as a behavior coach/case manager full-time through most of my grad program, and I think that was one of my best decisions. It allowed me to gain a lot of confidence in helping people with their mental health (where I just saw becoming a therapist as gaining more skills and allowing me to pivot my role), I gained familiarity with the systems in-place that impact people seeking treatment, and I got to apply what I was learning directly to the people I was already working with (not like doing therapy on them, but more like applying theoretical concepts and lenses). Doing this also really assured me that becoming a therapist was something that I wanted and would be good at!
For anybody in a similar place, going to grad school with a social work degree (typically 2 years after college, or one year accelerated program) you can become a LCSW and be able to practice therapy
Yes, accredited programs! I did a 1 year masters too
This is SO helpful - and echoes things I’ve heard from a friend of mine who has a private practice. She went to school at night when we worked together in our 20s instead of going to school full time. The training tip is so so helpful
Hope you are feeling better! 🙏 ❤
I wish I had focused on different research in grad school. I had no idea what specialty I was going to end up in. I focused a lot on kids and school based stuff because I thought I was going to do school adjustment counseling. I ended up specializing in autism and adhd and I researched neither in grad school. Also worked with kids at first but couldn’t handle all of the collaborative care so switched to adults only. I did focus on BPD even in undergrad and specialized in that too. I don’t regret much… just thinking I could handle being a therapist. Because I got very chronically ill trying, even when I cut my hours. Haven’t worked in a year and have no clue what to do now. I wish someone told me back in my internship that the burnout I felt was because I was autistic and can’t be working 1:1 with humans doing verbal speech, lights and noise.. oh well. I’m proud of the career I had regardless of how it ended up, and my grad program was rly great too.
Sorry about your concussion that sounds scary. Hope you get some rest.
I am so sorry about your concussion! I hope you feel better very quickly!!
I went to grad school probably just a little while before you (guessing based on your 20 year comment). I knew I wanted to do therapy, but wasn't exactly sure what path I wanted to take. I ended up getting out the phone book (Yes, I'm dating myself here) and just randomly started calling different therapists in my area... All specializations, psychologists, social workers, MFTs, etc. Almost 100% of them told me to go with the social work degree because I could still receive the clinical training and provide therapy, but it would give me far more job opportunities and settings to choose from. I ended up choosing the clinical social work route and found the advice to be correct. I've always found it interesting that even the psychologists I called said that, so apparently you're not alone in your thinking Marie. I do sometimes wonder if I would have enjoyed the testing piece with a psychology degree though.
Firstly I commend you for pushing through with such a fresh TBI! As someone who had one during the middle of my behavioral health training, so I understand exactly what you mean.. Other than that great video and thanks for the perspective!
Im going for my PhD similar to you I want more options when im out of school. Also the reason is financial. I want to be able to make the highest salary I can. I don’t want to have any barriers stopping me help provide for my family.
Hope you feel better soon ❤
Thanks for this video!! Im a senior in undergrad about to complete my BS in psychology, clinical track. Im have applied for a couple of masters in counseling programs and I am started one next fall!
Also it wasnt just your university with professors with doctorates, that's the norm in every single school lol. Nothing wrong with that
I resonate with this so much! So thank you. I too took the route of a BS instead of BA. In fact I went as far as getting fully involved with 3 different research projects during my undergraduate because I listened to advice from those around me. I look back now and think yes I learned some important things and made great connections but it wasn't what I ever really wanted to do. I was told by one professor by deciding on a therapy avenue it would ruin me. Boy did it rip at my soul at the time. Now I see it as his problem not my ruin. 🤷♀️
LCSW Illinois checking in,
I know over a handful of people recently at the school I did my BSW and MSW at and things have changed so much since I graduated 2016 and… I’m not conviencdd it’s for the better. The part time stuff or full time feels rushed. They’re offering all of these like very short turnaround times of getting classes done and getting them done in like a month or two and allegedly you’re gonna do the whole class and that amount of time which does happen but according to the people that I talk to you, there’s like nothing happening in the classes or it’s not that hard.
There’s a lot of new grads coming out just a disaster and not prepared for the field, but also assuming that they can just walk into a private practice get paid what people have been a clinical when they’re only pulmonary licensed type cases and not be ready for the type of cases they’re gonna be given.
We have a lot of group practices in the Chicago area that conglomerates that taken a ton of clinicians who used to be 1099, but our state changed that it has to be a W-2 if you’re now LPC and the amount of practices that just poach new grads because they can skim off the top of their profit or say they’re offering reduced fees to get more clients on the door, but do not go through the effort of getting these people trained is crazy.
I would know, I worked for one starting in grad school as a front desk and then did practice therapy there
Registered nurse here, I hope you got checked out. I'm assuming you did because you know you had a concussion.
Thank you for this. I am doing a slow route to a master's in counseling. Providing therapy is a lifelong dream. Many people are doing the "Well don't you want to do_____?" Testing, research, you name it. People also suggested psychiatric APRN, "because the money is better" (in the short term) "and they can do therapy too." No, I want my training in therapy, not prescribing. I value the work done in those other roles, but I feel fortunate to be able to follow a passion- a luxury many people don't get.
Totally decided the same thing - Specialize after the fact. The small Masters program I'm in now is really focused on people doing their continuing ed after graduation. It is very chill. MCFT through CACREP.
Thanks Marie!
Wow. LCSW/MSW here. Before getting my degree, every doctorate graduate student said "just get your Master's." My mentor said the same. And he is a PhD. For the same reasons.
Thank you for sharing with us! I am halfway through my MA in clinical mental health counseling
I hear you on wishing that you chose a part-time option. I am currently a full-time masters student and am in the process of completing my internship hours at a community agency- it is overwhelming. At the same time, I have a good internship site, supervisor, and professors at school. Many of the classes are online which helps somewhat. With the flexibility in the school program, I am able to spread out my internship over three semesters (instead of 2) which allows for more time for school work. Whew!
We have a very non-traditional student base here in Alaska and part-time is very common. That said, the college’s messaging is still “faster Saves you money” but as an insider to the system I feel like that is motivated by attrition rate statistics.
I'm not sure how common part time is, but my school offers 3 tracks-accelerated in 18 months, standard in 2 yrs, 3 months, and part time in 3 years. The part time definitely seems the least popular based on my observations, but I never felt discouraged from doing it. The other school I applied to was very flexible and you could take a whole bunch of classes at a time or do it very slowly if you wanted.
May I ask what school this is?
Thank you!
I felt that sigh!😅
It would be nearly impossible to get the hours done part time
I think I'd likely do my post-graduate hours as close to full time as I could (at which time I was paid, though not a lot, and no longer paying school tuition). But I believe the graduate practicum and internship could be completed part time as smoothly as the rest of training. I know this can vary though from state to state and program to program depending on requirements.
Editing Marie looks like a weirdo you should fire her. xd thanks for the content.