Cost/Benefit Analysis of a Counseling PhD vs. Master's vs. Clinical PsyD

[leahyhl]

Hello all. I am applying to schools this winter, and I am torn between applying to Counseling PhD programs, Counseling Masters programs, and Clinical PsyD programs. My ultimate goal is to become a private practitioner. However, I am not interested in treating people with severe mental illness. I am more interested in life coaching, and helping people through assorted life transitions. I envision myself doing some career counseling, some relationship counseling, some self-esteem counseling, in addition to treating mild depression and/or anxiety. I also envision myself doing some I/O consulting. Because I do not want to work with severely mentally ill patients, the idea of pursuing a counseling degree instead of a clinical degree appeals to me. However, I do not want to take on unnecessary debt. I have research experience that would likely make me a viable candidate for research fellowships, so pursuing a PhD is ideal. It is my understanding that Master's programs are rarely funded. Here is my conundrum: the majority of Counseling PhD programs require a Master's degree, which I do not have. Here are my questions:

Is it the case that the majority of Counseling PhD programs require a Master's?

What are the salary expectations for a private practitioner with a counseling Masters vs. a counseling PhD vs. a clinical PsyD?

Are there any viable Counseling Master's programs that are funded?

Am I correct in assuming that a private practitioner with a counseling PhD serves in the same capacity as a person with a clinical PhD/PsyD, with the primary difference being that the counseling PhD practitioner has more training in assisting clients through more normal life adjustments (setting research/academia aside)?

Is it reasonable to assume that I can perform all the tasks listed above (life coach, relationship counselor, career counselor, I/O consultant) with each of the degrees mentioned?

Thank you to all who respond!

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[deleted176373]

Is it the case that the majority of Counseling PhD programs require a Master's?

No, but some do. Many very good Counseling Ph.D. programs are available with only a B.A. Texas A&M, UTexas, and ASU come to mind

What are the salary expectations for a private practitioner with a counseling Masters vs. a counseling PhD vs. a clinical PsyD?

Salary.com and the APA website have these answers.

Are there any viable Counseling Master's programs that are funded?

Plenty, Have you done any leg work? Your post shows that you know little about the field that you want to become part of (I am not trying to be an ass here, but you won't be spoon-fed in grad school.) I suggest that you do a little work and actually contact some programs to find out where their Alumni practice and what kind of career trajectory's they enjoy.

You will likely have the most debt/yr of study from a Clinical Psy.D. program with some notable exceptions, next is the master's degree which is ALMOST as expensive as a Counseling Ph.D. independent of time in school.

Am I correct in assuming that a private practitioner with a counseling PhD serves in the same capacity as a person with a clinical PhD/PsyD, with the primary difference being that the counseling PhD practitioner has more training in assisting clients through more normal life adjustments (setting research/academia aside)?

It's hard to generalize. It depends greatly on both the student and the program/faculty. I would not assume much in this regard.

Is it reasonable to assume that I can perform all the tasks listed above (life coach, relationship counselor, career counselor, I/O consultant) with each of the degrees mentioned?

Sort of. You would probably be practicing outside your scope in some cases without the proper training. You need to be more focused than that. You won't get far in the interview process without a clear focus.

Thank you to all who respond!

Best of luck!!! Applying in itself is a complex process.

Mark

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Good response Mark.

To answer your I/O references....I/O is a very different animal in regard to training and application. True I/O is stats heavy, number crunching, developing custom assessments, etc. You'd need very diverse training to prepare yourself for that. I/O training isn't licensable, so you'd need to make sure you can find places that have clinical training that also offer some I/O training.

"Life Coaches" and the like are a grey area, because they technically don't need to be licensed, but it'd behoove you to go through proper clinical/counseling training, gain specific experience in things related to life coaching, and then get licensed.

 

[leahyhl]

Thank you both for responding.
In my defense, the following schools require (or informally require) a Master's degree for acceptance into a Counseling PhD program:

University of GA
University of Memphis
Loyola University, Chicago
University of Miami
University of Minnesota
NYU
Northern Arizona University
University of Northern Colorado
Penn State

So, understandably, I was getting discouraged. Hearing of ASU, Texas A&M, and U Texas is a breath of fresh air. Do you know of any other schools that follow the model of not requiring a Master's for the PhD in Counseling programs? I feel like I'm searching for needles in a haystack starting from scratch with the APA Graduate Study in Psychology book...

-OP

 

[psydd]

are counseling psychology phd programs less likely to focus themselves on undergraduate research experience than clinical phd programs?

also, if one was to have their heart set on a counseling psychology phd program, but couldn't get in straight out of undergrad, would it be wise to go for the master's and then reapply to the phd later?

is the amount of research done during a master's degree in counseling or a related field enough to convince counseling psychology phd programs that you're a viable candidate (assuming that all of your other credentials are already top notch)?