Hello all, so for the past year I have been dead set on pursuing a PhD in clinical psych and becoming a psychologist. However, after further inspection into this path and taking my restrictions into account (geographic limitation, 3 kids, financial stress, age) it honestly looks like pursuing a masters degree and becoming a LMHC would be the better option for me. What drew me into clinical psych PhDs was that I wanted to work with severe mental illness, but as someone with a semi-severe mental illness who sees a LCSW who specializes in that area, I realize that they can probably work with severe mental illnesses as well.
My questions are:
1.) Is this a good option? I would be going to an in-state school, so the maximum amount I would pay for tuition (no scholarships accounted for) would be ~$26,000 in total for the program. Money is not my concern here because my partner plans to work extra during my time in school to help pay for stuff and help me save what money I do get to pay towards my loans.
2.) What is better - LMHC or LMFT? Or are there other options with this degree I am not considering that may be more of what I'm looking for? I want to practice an actual evidence based therapy (like CBT or DBT), not just 'counseling'.
3.) If I were to go straight from undergrad to grad school, I would graduate when I was 26 or 27, and then have to complete the 2 years of supervised hours after my masters (Florida). Are the supervised hours paid, or am I looking at more unpaid work? Do I need to get a second job?
4.) How difficult is it to get into these masters programs? I am looking at two schools at the moment - one enrolls around 15-16 students in their program/year, the other around 40-45. They both result in the same ability for licensure, but the one who accepts more students also allows for licensure in rehabilitation therapy, which at the moment I am not interested in. Is that something I should consider?
Thank you all for any help you can offer, and I'm sure I will have more questions.
My questions are:
1.) Is this a good option? I would be going to an in-state school, so the maximum amount I would pay for tuition (no scholarships accounted for) would be ~$26,000 in total for the program. Money is not my concern here because my partner plans to work extra during my time in school to help pay for stuff and help me save what money I do get to pay towards my loans.
2.) What is better - LMHC or LMFT? Or are there other options with this degree I am not considering that may be more of what I'm looking for? I want to practice an actual evidence based therapy (like CBT or DBT), not just 'counseling'.
3.) If I were to go straight from undergrad to grad school, I would graduate when I was 26 or 27, and then have to complete the 2 years of supervised hours after my masters (Florida). Are the supervised hours paid, or am I looking at more unpaid work? Do I need to get a second job?
4.) How difficult is it to get into these masters programs? I am looking at two schools at the moment - one enrolls around 15-16 students in their program/year, the other around 40-45. They both result in the same ability for licensure, but the one who accepts more students also allows for licensure in rehabilitation therapy, which at the moment I am not interested in. Is that something I should consider?
Thank you all for any help you can offer, and I'm sure I will have more questions.