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After being out of school for nearly a decade, I recently began a CACREP-accredited Masters in Counseling program. After graduation, I will need to put in 2-3 years more in order to become licensed and be allowed to practice (and I will have to pay a Counselor Supervisor for all my supervision hours, which can be very steep), so 5-6 years total.
My ultimate goal is to get a doctorate in psychology in order to become a licensed psychologist. However, after being out of school for so long and not holding related jobs in the interim, no Ph.D. program would accept me with just my bachelors.
Should I put in the time it takes to become a licensed Masters-level counselor and then go on for my doctorate? Or after I graduate with my masters, should I immediately enter the Ph.D. program without licensure?
I could switch to a Masters in Psychology (doesn't lead to licensure), but I'm scared, because if for some reason I decide against getting a doctorate in Psychology, a Masters in Psychology will only be good for kindling!
TIA for the help!!!
Last edited by ThisIsMe123; 05-21-2014 at 06:16 PM..
Reason: punctuation error
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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The Masters in Psychology will qualify you for some government social work jobs once you are licensed in the state. Unfortunately they don't pay well. Looking at local listings, school psychologists with a master are getting $50k, same for social service organizations. Even Psychologist 4 at a local mental hospital in our high cost-of-living area is paying just $5,136/month, and requires a doctoral degree. My original goal was a clinical practice, but I found out in the Master program about liability and legal issues, and the cost of malpractice insurance, office rent, and the difficulty in finding clients with no experience.
After graduate school I went into utilities and used my knowledge of statistical analysis, motivation and learning and other concepts from college to work up to a management analyst job that paid more than above even in the 1990s. Now I'm a mid-level manager at another agency.
Maybe look in to a Psych D program? I don't know much about it, but I think you'd have an easier time getting into a PsychD. than Phd program.
From what I gathered, a Psy.D program is geared more towards the actual practice of psychology where a Ph.D in psychology prepares you more for the research.
In South Carolina, you can become an LPC-intern with a masters in psychology as long as it covers the required courses, is 48 credit hours, and includes a 150-hour practicum. LLR
However, this doesn't really provide an answer to your dilemma. Also, keep in mind that Tricare will be require CACREP-accredited degrees soon for LPCs/LMHCs, and CACREP does not accredit psychology degrees. You don't need to be eligible to bill Tricare in order to practice, but it helps.
It would take you forever to become an LPC and then go on to become a psychologist. It could also be expensive. Even if you can get into a fully-funded PhD program, all of the years you will spend in school while not practicing with your counseling license will cost you a lot in opportunity costs. I'd say that you should decide if you just want to be an LPC or a psychologist. I would skip the LPC licensure process if I were dedicated to the idea of becoming a psychologist.
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