Frequently Asked Questions
This information is presented in general terms, since there is a great deal of overlap between these fields, and exceptions to these descriptions. Speaking with a career counselor might help clarify your options.
Do I need a master’s or a Ph.D.?
Here is the "working degree" for each of the professions, that is, the level of degree required to become a therapist:
- Masters or PhD in counseling
- Masters or PhD in marriage and family therapy
- PhD in psychology
- Masters or PhD in social work
The Ph.D. versus master's degree decision is a complex one and may depend on your career goals, how long you want to be in school, your finances, and your GPA/GRE scores.
There are many talented, and successful mental health professionals working in agencies, schools and in private practice who are licensed with a master’s degree.
If you think you might like to work in academia some day, as a professor in one of the mental health related graduate programs, then a Ph.D. would be part of your preparation.
What do I need to do to become licensed?
After you complete your degree, the licensing board of each profession requires a period of supervised post-graduate work in the field before you are eligible to sit for your licensing exam. This post-graduate work might be paid or unpaid. The length of this internship experience depends on the license you are pursuing.
Here are some links to the various licensing agencies:
Texas State Board of Examiners for Professional Counselors
http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/counselor/default.shtm
Texas State Board of Examiners for Marriage and Family Therapists
http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/mft/
Texas State Board of Examiners for Psychologists
http://www.tsbep.state.tx.us/
Texas State Board of Social Work Examiners
http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/socialwork/
Licensed Chemical Dependency Program
http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/lcdc/
How much research is included in the graduate programs?
Social work, marriage and family therapy programs and counseling programs tend to focus more on applied skills rather than research. However, a doctoral program in any of those fields would be more research based.
Psychology programs tend to include a research focus, even in their more applied programs such as counseling psychology. The exception to this is the Psy.D., a practice-oriented degree in psychology which is an alternative to the traditional Ph.D.
With what kind of populations and/or issues would I like to work?
Clinical psychologists are generally trained to work with clients who have been diagnosed with chronic mental illnesses such as personality disorders, panic disorder or major depression. While some counseling psychologists and professional counselors may receive the training to work with mental illness, their training typically focuses on working with people who are experiencing more normative or developmental concerns, such as marital issues, career indecision, or grief and loss. Social workers may receive training to work with people experiencing either mental illness or normative issues, yet their training typically focuses on work with people who are economically disadvantaged or belong to other oppressed populations.
These are generalizations, and you will find exceptions and overlapping in all three fields.
Here is an example of the overlapping of fields. If you like to work with children, you might pursue school counseling, school social work or become a school psychologist. Each has a different role to play within the school setting. Each can also provide psychotherapy to children in a private practice setting if they are licensed and have pursued the clinical training to do so.
Do I have to have a specific undergraduate degree to pursue any of these programs?
In general, these graduate programs do not require an undergraduate degree in the field. However, some programs may require particular courses, such as statistics or introductory psychology. In many cases, you can be admitted even if you haven't taken the prerequisites; you will complete them the first few semesters of graduate school. Check the web sites of specific programs you are considering for details about course requirements.