Posted by Lindenblüte on November 22, 2006, at 21:41:17
In reply to Re: Best grad school for psych in the midwest? » Gee, posted by SatinDoll on November 19, 2006, at 20:07:56
Satind,
what kind of degree are you interested in? If you would like to practice psychotherapy, a PsyD is a good degree to get a lot of practical training in terms of dealing with clients, understanding and treating mental illness using psychotherapy.PhD programs in clinical psychology also train you to varying degrees to perform psychotherapy, but you will also be expected to contribute to research on mental illness and treatment approaches. This might lead to a greater focus on theoretical and research applications, and less of a practical emphasis on the art of psychotherapy.
There are also PhD p[rograms in licensed clinical social work. I think these programs emphasize psychotherapy, but also on providing other types of services, so you'd want to find a program that emphasizes the therapeutic approach you feel confident with.
Learn more about the different approaches and philosophies, and about different mentors and professors at different programs. The most important part of a PhD program is to find a match to a mentor or a set of ideals or practical philosophies that a program emphasizes. It's kind of like finding a therapist, actually. Expect interviews and be prepared that admission to clinical psychology PhD programs is very competitive. I don't want you to feel discouraged, though. If you've got the willpower, you can make it happen. It will help if you have an undergraduate degree in psychology, or a biomedical or social science. Otherwise, you may need to demonstrate that you have taken enough courses to show that you've got the prerequisite foundations for graduate school. Me? I didn't really have those courses. It slowed me down a bit, because I didn't know what I wanted to focus my research on when I entered the PhD program. That's probably why most of my cohort has graduated, and why I only started writing the damn dissertation today.
-Li
poster:Lindenblüte
thread:705317
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/studs/20060709/msgs/706358.html