Trying to figure out the best route to go, Masters or PhD/Psy.D, as well as career options

[psychbot1]

I'm currently looking into the best route to go for becoming a practicing psychologist. I have a bachelors from UC Davis in psychology with a 3.3 GPA, one year working as a behavioral therapist, and a few internships/volunteer positions. I wasn't sure if this was my route when in college so I didn't go too hard at the direction. I've been out of school for about two years now just working and am curious about the next step.

Ideally I would like to work in a private practice as a LCSW. I love the intersection of mental health and sociology, but from what I've read it's not something that's much in demand. I also have seen that private practices are generally something done after you retire to continue making some money on the side, as they aren't reliable or high paying.

So my question is, what is the closest things to my interest in the field with the best pay? What program would best fit this goal?

I'm seeing that most positions offering 80k and up are usually at counseling firms or agencies. How common is this? How competitive is it?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[aftermidnight]

I'm currently looking into the best route to go for becoming a practicing psychologist. I have a bachelors from UC Davis in psychology with a 3.3 GPA, one year working as a behavioral therapist, and a few internships/volunteer positions. I wasn't sure if this was my route when in college so I didn't go too hard at the direction. I've been out of school for about two years now just working and am curious about the next step.

Ideally I would like to work in a private practice as a LCSW. I love the intersection of mental health and sociology, but from what I've read it's not something that's much in demand. I also have seen that private practices are generally something done after you retire to continue making some money on the side, as they aren't reliable or high paying.

So my question is, what is the closest things to my interest in the field with the best pay? What program would best fit this goal?

I'm seeing that most positions offering 80k and up are usually at counseling firms or agencies. How common is this? How competitive is it?

Hi Psychbot1,

Glad to help if I can. One thing to clarify is that you say you want a path to become a practicing psychologist but then state your ideal is to be an LCSW. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker is not a type of psychologist. That might seem like a small quibble but it's considered to be a major distinction within the field. There are many disciplines that act as psychotherapists/counselors such as Licensed Professional Counselors, LCSWs, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists and multiple degree paths associated with those various licensures. In some areas, an LPC might be preferred over an LCSW and in other areas that can be reversed. f you pop over to the PhD/PsyD forum and look at the DOCTORAL APPLICANTS READ FIRST thread, you'll probably gain clarity on a lot of what you asked. This is a particularly good place to start, in my opinion is Mitch's Grad School Advice PDF on there. Still, I'll try to answer a few things.

I wouldn't say LCSWs in private practice are not in demand, as a rule. There are many successful LCSWs (and other disciplines in private practice) across the country. Most people probably don't wait to retire before getting started with private practice, though that is certainly an option. Success probably depends on a lot of factors including your geographic area, any practice niche you might have, how much you're willing to work, skill-level etc. The bottom line is, private practice is a viable option for an LCSW and it's probably one of the more lucrative avenues you can pursue but there also tends to be more risk, without a regular salary or benefits, for example. Many practicing LCSWs do not make anywhere near 80k, so that may not be realistic if that's your expectation. Have you looked at things like the Bureau of Labor and Statistics median salaries? Overall, a doctoral degree in psychology would probably give you the best chance to make the most amount of money but it's far from a guarantee of an 80k plus salary as well.

As for your interests, you don't mention research interests or experience from what I gathered, so you might be a better fit for a master's program. You can get out of school and start practicing more quickly. The doctoral route is a much longer haul and there's a good chance you might need to beef up your research experience before you could get into one.

 

[sfgucadoc]

I'm currently looking into the best route to go for becoming a practicing psychologist. I have a bachelors from UC Davis in psychology with a 3.3 GPA, one year working as a behavioral therapist, and a few internships/volunteer positions. I wasn't sure if this was my route when in college so I didn't go too hard at the direction. I've been out of school for about two years now just working and am curious about the next step.

Ideally I would like to work in a private practice as a LCSW. I love the intersection of mental health and sociology, but from what I've read it's not something that's much in demand. I also have seen that private practices are generally something done after you retire to continue making some money on the side, as they aren't reliable or high paying.

So my question is, what is the closest things to my interest in the field with the best pay? What program would best fit this goal?

I'm seeing that most positions offering 80k and up are usually at counseling firms or agencies. How common is this? How competitive is it?

I'd have to disagree that LCSW's are not much in demand. I've lived and practiced in both CA and TX. In both states, LCSW are a significant chunk of the master's level therapists. Of course, there is some regional variation. In CA, there are also a lot of MFTs and in TX more LPCs. But I would be surprised if there are states where there is no demand for LCSW. Some of this is because it's easier to bill some types of insurance as an LCSW than as an MFT or an LPC.

Some psychologists take a broader view of social factors in their training. I believe this is true of many counseling psychology programs. If you want to be a psychologist, you might look into those kinds of programs.

However, I think it would a good idea for you to do some background reading on different types of therapists, what psychologists can do that other mental health professionals cannot (e.g., more substantive assessment) or typically do not do (e.g., research), etc. before you make such a big decision. I would contact local schools of social work and psychology departments to set up informational interviews with faculty. Or interview private practitioners in both fields about what they do, why they chose their specific profession, etc.

If you get an MSW, you can always go on for a PhD in psychology or in social work. But you need to inform yourself more about your options to be able to write a convincing admissions essay for the graduate programs you eventually apply to. If you demonstrate a misunderstanding of basic differences in the mental health professions, it will likely cause admissions committees to be less enthusiastic about your application.

There are numerous threads on this board about salaries in private practice, psychologist vs. SW vs. LPC, etc. I won't repeat them other than to say that how much you earn is dependent on how hard you work, whether you build a particularly desirable niche for yourself in a practice area, where you practice, etc. If you provide a valuable, highly sought after service in an upscale area, you can do quite well for yourself.

But it's a bit off-putting when questioners lead off their post with some variation of "how can I make the most money?".

 

[Anne02]

I'm currently looking into the best route to go for becoming a practicing psychologist. I have a bachelors from UC Davis in psychology with a 3.3 GPA, one year working as a behavioral therapist, and a few internships/volunteer positions. I wasn't sure if this was my route when in college so I didn't go too hard at the direction. I've been out of school for about two years now just working and am curious about the next step.

Ideally I would like to work in a private practice as a LCSW. I love the intersection of mental health and sociology, but from what I've read it's not something that's much in demand. I also have seen that private practices are generally something done after you retire to continue making some money on the side, as they aren't reliable or high paying.

So my question is, what is the closest things to my interest in the field with the best pay? What program would best fit this goal?

I'm seeing that most positions offering 80k and up are usually at counseling firms or agencies. How common is this? How competitive is it?

I think you need to figure out if you really want to be a psychologist or a therapist or a social worker or a counselor first. The best pay is likely a psychologist or any doctoral level program of course.

 

[Dahresto]

How are you a behavioral therapist with only an undergrad degree? Case management, maybe