by Caedy Young, MS | Jun 18, 2020 | Personal & Professional Experiences, Student & Intern Resources
Clinical psychology comprises the fastest growing subfield in the study of psychology, and it accounts for approximately half of all doctoral degrees earned within the field [1]. There are two primary degrees awarded for doctoral study within psychology: the PhD and the PsyD. Briefly, the PhD holds a primary research focus in addition to clinical practice, while the PsyD is focused primarily on provision of clinical services. The PsyD, or the Doctor of Psychology degree, emerged in the 1970s and has since grown rapidly as a primary model of training for clinical psychology.
Most PsyD programs follow the scholar-practitioner model, also known as the Vail model. This type of training is characterized by emphasis on practical clinical training. In the course of this training, students also learn how to analyze and evaluate existing scientific research, and they may carry out their own original research, as well.
The PhD, or the Doctor of Philosophy, takes a balanced approach to research and clinical work. In addition to learning the practice of clinical psychology, the PhD emphasizes conducting research. This is the scientist-practitioner model, or the Boulder model. Students in PhD programs gain extensive training in the development, execution, and dissemination of research.
Continue Reading
by Amy Muscarello | Nov 7, 2018 | Lifehacks, Tips & Advice, Personal & Professional Experiences
Although previous generations probably did not swap cat pictures or tell 350 of their acquaintances what they ate for dinner, even the most seasoned among us has to pause when we think about life before social media. People use their private social media accounts for a variety of reasons and clinicians are no different. Perhaps you are looking for a new job or even a relationship through social media. Or maybe you use social media to decompress by doing online workouts and watching Dr. Pimple Popper videos. Whatever the case, the chances are good you will run into a client on social media. This article explores some of the most common scenarios a clinician will encounter and the ethical implications of receiving a friend request from a client. Here are some of the most common scenarios you will encounter in the field.
Continue Reading
by Carisa Powell | Oct 17, 2018 | Personal & Professional Experiences
Graduate school is an enormous feat for any student. Many graduate students may be employed, have children, or may even be dealing with serious health issues while attending graduate school. I, personally, fit in each of those categories. I’m currently a graduate student pursuing a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling. I’m also a mother to a ten year old energetic son, and I’m dealing with health issues as well.
Continue Reading
by Claire McDonough | Sep 19, 2018 | Personal & Professional Experiences
More likely than not, most of us lamented about being a “poor college student” at one point during our undergraduate years. Despite experiences akin to daily microwave ramen for dinner and sharing a house with ten other people to save some money, we find ourselves seeking yet another two to four years of college life to pursue a graduate-level education. While student loan debt seems to be ubiquitous in graduate school, there are several steps we can take, between applying for graduate school to walking at graduation, to lessen the damage to our wallets.
Continue Reading
by Sydney Fontanares | Sep 12, 2018 | Personal & Professional Experiences
Congratulations! You have completed your degree, finished your training hours, passed your exam(s), and paid your fees. Now, you have a fancy new license number and more control over your professional future.
Becoming a newly licensed therapist is not a magical process — you will not all of a sudden become a mindful, articulate clinician like many of your supervisors. Rather, it requires deliberate actions.
You have proven yourself to your state board and now it’s time to prove yourself to the rest of world, or at least to the psychological community.
The following are practices to consider when stepping into the big, shiny shoes of a licensed clinician.
Continue Reading
by Sarah Thompson, PhD | Aug 10, 2018 | Personal & Professional Experiences, Professional Resources, Student & Intern Resources
When I entered graduate school, I knew one thing: I would never become a clinical psychologist. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, but I knew psychology wasn’t it, and I figured that spending a few years in a doctoral program was a good way to pass the time while my interests worked themselves out. (Side note: It isn’t. There are much easier ways to spend six years.)
Now I am the one thing I thought I would never be: a clinical psychologist. How in the world did that happen?
The truth is that I began graduate school with a narrow sense of what it means to be a psychologist. Over the course of my training, I learned that there are many ways to match your interests, passions, and values to a career in behavioral health and many opportunities to fall in love with this work.
Whether you have well-defined professional goals or are utterly confused about the path ahead, here are a few questions to consider as you work toward developing your professional identity and choosing a meaningful career.
Continue Reading
by Dr. Giselle Farrell | Mar 26, 2018 | Personal & Professional Experiences, Student & Intern Resources
After what seemed like a lifetime of being in school, I was finally done! I could finally call myself a psychologist. I remembered breathing a huge sigh of relief after I realized that I would not have to worry about writing papers, participating in weekly discussions, or giving presentations anymore; I was finally free and ready to do what I loved, and get paid for it!
But wait…what was I supposed to do next? So, you mean I just go and start working? Who is going to walk me through the career world now? I was so used to always having a directive and a professor to guide me that I did not even think about the fact that one day, the training wheels would be removed and I would be launched out on my own!
Continue Reading
by Sofie Champassak, Ph.D. | Dec 18, 2017 | Personal & Professional Experiences, Professional Resources, Uncategorized
The Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) is something every psychology graduate student dreads. After spending years in school, hours reading, writing, applying for internship and fellowship, and collecting clinical hours, the day has finally come for that very last step.
Of course, it’s normal to feel anxious about the EPPP. Many have said, “You feel like you’re failing it the whole time you’re taking it, but it will be fine.” Or there’s an optimistic tone of, “You’re going to be fine, you’ll do great! You just need a score of 500 to pass.”
Then there are the aftermath celebrations and Facebook updates: “I passed the EPPP!” Or, “Another step closer to being licensed!”
I found it so rare and uncommon for my peers to speak about the other possibility: What happens if you don’t pass?
Continue Reading
by Norma Jean Salinas | May 1, 2017 | Personal & Professional Experiences
While a lot of people my age are slowing down and retiring as they hit the half-century mark, I decided to make a career change and go back to school to earn my master’s degree in mental health counseling. Now, at the age of 54, I am proud to say that I am a Licensed Professional Counselor Intern in the state of Texas, currently completing my postgraduate internship hours.
If you are wondering how I decided to become a psychotherapist at this point in my life, I can assure you that it was not an idea that simply plummeted out of the sky and bopped me on the head one day.
Quite the contrary – I have been a therapist-in-training ever since I was a little girl, although I never really knew what that meant at the time. I always knew that I had a caring and compassionate heart and a special gift for helping others, but I did not know how to translate that into a career when I was younger.
Continue Reading
by Brandi Thomas-Scott | Jan 10, 2017 | Personal & Professional Experiences
Sometimes the hardest job can have the most amazing rewards.
Living and working in the New Orleans metro area has been an eye-opening experience, especially working as a mental health counseling intern in one of the area’s elementary schools.
New Orleans has a vibrant culture that is woven together with tragedy and music that just draws you in. Coming here as a visitor, you are usually not aware of the negatives such as the long-term effects of Hurricane Katrina and the communities that have been locked in poverty (and the effects that has had on its residents). As a visitor, your focus is usually on the excellent music, the delicious food, and the eccentric characters that make visiting New Orleans so great.
Continue Reading
