Which would be better in California, a masters in Counseling Psychology or Social Work?

Question

I am currently working on my undergrad in Sociology and I know that counseling psychology with licensing as a marriage and family therapist suits my interests more, (I want to go into private practice and work with couples and individuals) but I've heard that the area I want to practice in, Southern California, has too many people working with these qualifications already. Some people have suggested that I get a masters in social work instead because there would be more job opportunities, but that type of work (hospitals, rehabs,etc) doesn't appeal to me at all. I want to get a PsyD at some point, but probably won't be able to right away. Can someone who practices in California in one of these areas give me an idea of which would be the better choice for me? Thanks.

Answer 1

I'm not a therapist but I teach psychology at the college level in California. My sense is that a masters in social work with a license to do therapy (LCSW) is pretty much the same for all practical purposes as a masters in counseling ... and possibly more flexible. That is, what you can do with an MFT you can also do with an LCSW ... but what you can do with an LCSW you can't necessarily do with an MFT. I think sometimes students rule out social work because it has a kind of unpleasant stereotype (e.g., snatching people's kids away), but this doesn't reflect the reality.

One thing you can do--in addition to talking with faculty and students in both social work and counseling at your school--is to look at real job ads from SoCal to see what jobs look interesting to you and what degrees they require. This makes it more concrete.

As for getting a Psy.D. later on, I'm not sure whether the masters degree you chose would matter. I'm guessing not. But I also suspect that neither masters degree would shorten the Psy.D. program significantly.

Good luck.

Answer 2

Social work is by far a more versatile degree than psychology. A license in clinical social work will serve you as well (some would argue better than a license in MFT). However I would encourage you to select a program that fits your philosophical view of the world. Social work tends to be more holistic, strength based and system oriented. If your view is more micro, psychopathology oriented you probably would be happier in a clinical psych program. Also if your goal is a PsyD. I would encourage you to consider going directly into this if possible. A PsyD and clinical masters are very similar with a focus on practice. A PhD in psych is very different with a strong focus on research (which is not present in a PsyD).

Answer 3

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Answer 4

Northern California sounds like it suits you better.